Soya
Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) today outlined plans for a public debate on growing genetically modified (GM) crops in the UK, promising that "the Government wants a genuinely open and balanced discussion on GM". Though Greenpeace would welcome a proper debate on the merits of GM crops, today's proposals raise major doubts over the Government's commitment to having a serious discussion on GM commercialisation in the UK.
The debate process will start in the autumn with the aim of deepening public understanding, running in conjunction with a scientific review of GM issues and an economic analysis of the possible costs and benefits of growing GM crops. The Government has asked that the results of the debate be published in June 2003 and have assigned the project a budget of
