PA (PA News) / Thu, May 18, 2000 / By Martin Hickman, Bob Roberts, PA News
The Government was today due to make a Commons statement explaining how thousands of acres of farmland were accidentally sown with genetically modified seeds.
Agriculture Minister Nick Brown is due to give the statement within the next two hours.
Conservative leader William Hague led cross-party condemnation of the blunder as he called for an inquiry into the handling of the issue.
It came after agricultural firm Advanta Seeds UK admitted that GM rapeseed had been added to conventional seed sold in the UK and Europe.
The Ministry of Agriculture said that around 500 farms were affected, with GM-contaminated seeds sown at roughly 9,000 acres in 1999 and 4,500 this year.
The news followed a warning from the Prince of Wales in a Reith lecture about the "potentially disastrous consequences" of GM foods.
Mr Hague backed the Prince for speaking out, saying: "He has concerns that I share.
"We now need a full inquiry into what has gone on in recent weeks."
Labour backbencher Alan Simpson called the incident a "dreadful cock-up" and said the Government insistence there was no risk to health or the environment was "frighteningly complacent".
"Government scientists not too long ago were saying there was no risk of a cross-over from BSE to CJD in humans," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said: "There is genuine public concern, there is Parliamentary concern which is of a cross-party nature and the Government have to be a lot clearer and up-front with people about this issue."
David Buckeridge, European director of Advanta Seeds, claimed there was only a "minor impurity" of the seeds.
"It clearly is a very, very low level of impurity in the seed. I understand fully that people want this issue taken seriously, we do too."
Junior agriculture minister Baroness Hayman denied she had been "bounced" into revealing the problem by information coming out in another country or that there had been a cover-up.
She said she wanted to check there was no risk to public health or the environment by consulting independent advisory committees before making any announcement.
"You would have rightly criticised Government if we had come out with the story half-cock and not knowing what the facts are," she said.
A spokesman for Advanta Seeds UK said: "Seed companies are given no guidance on very low levels of GM presence or testing methods.
"Therefore, government departments were immediately alerted by Advanta or its representatives in each affected country.
"After taking time to consider the situation the Governments of Sweden and UK have now communicated their conclusions widely.
"We are satisfied that regulations have not been breached, that there are no risks for consumers, consequences for food safety and there is no risk to the environment.
"This trace level of GMO material highlights the need for early regulatory guidance in this area and provides a case study for all non GM seed throughout the EU.
"We welcome the intention of government to press for clear international standards, as well as local measures to monitor imported and other seed."
A statement from the Swedish Board of Agriculture said it was setting up a working party to prevent the situation recurring and would consider the need for additional inspections.
It said: "It is likely that farmers that have used the seed in question will be ordered to destroy their crops."
Friends of the Earth food campaigner Adrian Bebb said: "The Swedish government has been open and honest about the extent of the contamination and has moved quickly to ensure that these crops are removed from the ground.
"The British Government has been secretive, has produced minimum and misleading information and has done nothing to ensure that these crops are removed from the ground.
"We want the trials programme stopped and above all we want the UK Government to protect the public not the GM industry."
Later Agriculture Minister Baroness Hayman said that the Government could order the destruction of the contaminated crops if there was "a threat to human health or the environment".
"What we have done is sought the advice of independent committees about whether there is such a threat.
"At the moment their advice is very clear, that there isn't a threat - without that there is no grounds for ordering destruction.
"If we have evidence that there is such a threat obviously we will take the appropriate measures," she told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.
Baroness Hayman added that the owners of the affected 500 farms who had bought the contaminated seeds could pursue the issue of compensation with the seed company.
She said: "It's one of the areas that I still want further details from the seed company about what they intend to do."
Responding to suggestions that seed company Advanta had obeyed all UK regulations, the Baroness agreed that something was wrong with international regulations.
"I think they are right that there is something wrong with the international rules about seed purity levels because these seeds would have conformed with the European rules which allow tolerances for other seeds to be mixed in."
"The DETR have been working on this and are introducing their own spot checks which will be in place from June 1."
Baroness Hayman added that strict regulations governing the presence of genetically modified produce in foodstuffs should also apply to seeds.
"What we are doing is pressing for the international action so that we can monitor and take action against anyone who contravenes that. We are going to test the imports but I do think it's important because we know that these international negotiations take time," Baroness Hayman added.
Copyright 2000 PA News.
(posted without permission)
