GM Science Review Panel - Meetings

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GM SCIENCE REVIEW PANEL
MINUTES OF THE FIFTH MEETING
Tuesday 13 May 2003
The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street London SW1

THE MEETING WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO OBSERVE

Present

Members

Secretariat

Apologies

1. Apologies for absence had been received from: Professor Diana Bowles, Dr Andrew Cockburn, Professor Alan Gray, Dr Brian Johnson, Professor Jules Pretty, Professor Bert Rima, and Professor Peter Young.

Chairman's opening remarks

2. Sir David King welcomed Panel members and observers from the public to the fifth Science Review Panel meeting and invited observers to join the Panel for lunch.

3. He reminded the Panel that the main meeting would finish at 11.30 a.m. and thereafter divide into its drafting groups to work on the Review papers. He reminded observers that if they wanted to wander between groups to listen to the discussions they were very welcome to do so.

1. Minutes of the fourth meeting (29 April)

4. The minutes of the fourth meeting were confirmed as an accurate record of the meeting.

2. Matters arising

5. The draft General Introduction and Methodology chapters of the Report were discussed. Members agreed to send written comments to the Secretariat after the meeting so that, before the next Panel meeting, officials had time to take these on board, as well as those that had been made verbally at this meeting, to produce a redraft. The following key points emerged.

The General Introduction Chapter

6. Members thought it was important to give a better explanation of the thought processes leading to the way the Panel had conducted the Review to offset possible criticism that all concerns had not been treated by the Review.

7. It was important to emphasise that the regulatory framework is evolving, and was recently amended for example, to encompass the impact of changes in the management of GM crops on biodiversity.

8. A context setting opening paragraph was needed that is a historical statement of fact without interpretation, which states that changes have occurred to the way agriculture has developed, mentions the challenges ahead, how GM has been around since the 1970s and does appear at the moment to be a new idea, but has developed.

9. The developing countries section needed a little expansion and should avoid any implication that GM is necessarily an either/or option. In developing countries and in the USA, there is conventional and GM agriculture.

10. Members felt that the Report is likely to have implications for people in a lot of countries and not just those in developing countries. A proposal was that the section on developing countries should be described in terms of "implications of this Report outside the UK", and public interest in developing countries and GM addressed under this umbrella.

The Methodology Chapter

11. There were a few typographical suggestions but the Panel was broadly content with the chapter at this stage.

3. Any other business

12. There will be a Green Alliance workshop on 5 June, on the same day as the next Panel meeting: Precaution in Practice - the role of the GM Public Debate and Science Review. Julie Hill described the event to the Panel and Sir David King explained that he had been invited to speak. Members discussed the unfortunate and unavoidable clash of dates. Sir David King sought the views of the Panel on the presentational implications of him not speaking, and the disruption to the work of the Panel if he did speak. A range of viewpoints was expressed. He concluded the discussion by asking members whether they were content to leave the matter with him to make a decision. The Panel agreed with his proposal.

13. Sir David King mentioned a conference organised by the Institute of Science in Society (ISIS) on 10 May at which the Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP, Environment Minister, had given a keynote speech. Sir David King informed members that Mr Meacher emphasised the inclusive and open nature of the GM Science Review and encouraged participants at the meeting to submit contributions to the Review.

4. Date and time of next meeting

14. The sixth Panel meeting will be on Thursday 5 June, 10.30 am to 5.30 at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London SW1S 4BS.

GM Science Review Secretariat
May 2003