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Parliament's record since 1997: debates, questions, statements, votes, bills, committees and members' interests

Where MPs Stand

Sourced briefings on the record of Parliament

GM foods and application of the precautionary principle in Europe

Inquiry by the Science and Technology Committee (Commons), 13 December 2013 to 21 October 2015. Its page on the Parliament website.

Reports and responses

Evidence sessions

  • 15 October 2014: Professor Ottoline Leyser, Fellow, The Royal Society, Professor Sir David Baulcombe, Regius Professor of Botany, University of Cambridge, Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director, Greenpeace UK, and Liz O’Neill, Director, GM Freeze.
  • 29 October 2014: Síle Lane, Director of Campaigns, Sense About Science, Dr Jack Stilgoe, Lecturer in Social Studies of Science, University College London, and Professor Brian Wynne, Professor of Science Studies, Lancaster University; Sue Davies, Chief Policy Adviser, Which?, and Jon Woolven, Strategy and Innovation Director, Institute of Grocery Distribution; Dr Helen Ferrier, Chief Science and Regulatory Affairs Adviser, National Farmers' Union, Peter Melchett, Policy Director, The Soil Association, and Professor Ian Crute, Non-Executive Director, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
  • 5 November 2014: Professor Helen Sang, Fellow, Society of Biology, Professor Michael Bevan, Programme Leader, Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, and Dr Paul Burrows, Executive Director, Corporate Policy and Strategy, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; Dr Mike Bushell, Principle Scientific Adviser, Syngenta, Dr Julian Little, Chair, Agricultural Biotechnology Council, and Dr Geoff Mackey, Sustainable Development and Communications Director, BASF Europe North
  • 19 November 2014: Professor Paul Nightingale, Deputy Director, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, Professor Andy Stirling, Co-director, STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, Professor Joyce Tait, Director, Innogen Institute, University of Edinburgh, and Sir Roland Jackson, Member, Nuffield Council on Bioethics; Professor Sir Mark Walport, Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government and Head of the Government Office for Science
  • 1 December 2014: Dr Elisabeth Waigmann, Head of GMO Unit, European Food Safety Authority, and Professor Joe Perry, Chair, GMO Panel, European Food Safety Authority; Eric Poudelet, Director, Safety of the Food Chain, Directorate General for Health and Consumers, European Commission, Dorothée André, Head of Unit, Biotechnology, Directorate General for Health and Consumers, European Commission
  • 7 January 2015: Professor Rosie Hails, Chair, Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment, Professor Peter Gregory, Chair, Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, and Professor Guy Poppy, Chief Scientific Adviser, Food Standards Agency; Lord de Mauley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Natural Environment and Science, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and George Freeman MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Life Sciences, Department for Health and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills