There is an agreement already in industry that farm trials are essential. We remain in discussions with them as to how trials should be conducted. As we said in the letter to MPs on February 18, should industry decide to go ahead with a three-year voluntary moratorium that is a matter for them. We are interested in ensuring there is full, proper environmental assessment before full-scale commercial planting. If it takes X years to establish the environmental safety, so be it.
Safety is paramount.
The Government had not asked the industry for the three-year delay, he said. The spokesman added that he was commenting on newspaper reports of a moratorium. He was not personally aware of proposals to have one. Shadow Trade and Industry spokesman John Redwood said today that Lord Sainsbury should have mentioned his interests in GM food before he spoke on television yesterday.