TERMINATOR TECHNOLOGY

Early day motion 1300, tabled 19 December 2005 by Andrew George (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 259 members.

That this House notes the recent efforts to commercialise Terminator Technology, a genetic use restriction technology, which is designed to prevent through genetic modification farm-saved seeds from germinating; further notes the recent granting of a Terminator patent in Europe; is concerned that this technology will force farmers to purchase new seed each season, thus increasing corporate control of the food supply and threatening the food security of people in developing countries; is not convinced that this technology will prevent GM contamination of non-GM crops, food and feed supplies; is further concerned that this technology may present a threat, especially to farmers' and indigenous peoples' livelihoods, health and biodiversity; and urges the UK Government to follow the precautionary principle and therefore continue to defend, in upcoming meetings of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and elsewhere in 2006, the existing decision that products incorporating Genetic Use Restriction Technologies should not be approved for field testing and commercialisation.

Signatures by party: Conservative 100, Labour 94, Liberal Democrat 54, Scottish National Party 3, Plaid Cymru 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, DUP 1, Independent 1, Respect 1, UUP 1.