Welsh Assembly Bid to Veto GM Maize Defeated

ED CARTY & TOMOS LIVINGSTON / PA News / The Scotsman (UK) 24mar04

An attempt to force the Welsh Assembly to veto the addition of genetically modified maize to the UK seed list failed today.

A motion calling for the move was put forward by Liberal Democrat AM Mick Bates who has previously called for Environment minister Carwyn Jones to use the Assembly veto to block the listing of GM maize.

Mr Bates said: "People do not understand how we can have a national GM debate where the overwhelming opinion is one against GM crops, but the outcome was in favour."

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett gave a qualified go-ahead for the growing of the Chardon LL maize at the beginning of March.

But the Welsh Assembly has consistently opposed GM crops and any move to give them the go-ahead needs agreement from the Assembly and Scottish parliament.

The Assembly government wants a "co-existence" system agreed before any growth of GM crops, and Mr Jones said it would be "quite wrong" to criticise another UK administration.

"We can well imagine what the response would be if Westminster had passed a resolution criticising our stance. There would be uproar in this chamber.

"It will require the agreement of all four UK administrations before listing can take place within the UK."

A situation where GM crops were grown in England but not in Wales could not arise, he said.

Mr Jones added: "There is no presumption here that GM crops will be commercialised. Unless co-existence were possible, we could not support the commercialisation of GM crops. I wish to make that quite clear."

Mr Bates said ordinary farmers would suffer the most if GM crops were introduced. Ensuring adequate compensation for those affected was necessary.

He added: "It should be the polluter that pays, but such a compensation scheme will not be put in place."

Labour AM Peter Law told Mr Bates: "You have politicised an issue which is a very serious one, and you have actually made it very difficult here, and it' s very unfortunate this afternoon."

A Government amendment deleting the Lib Dem motion and re-stating the administration's position was passed by 29 votes to 26.

source: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2692862 27mar04