GM Science Review Panel

Professor Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, has chaired the Science Review Panel - comprising leading scientists from a spectrum of disciplines and perspectives, two lay representatives a social scientist and a leading scientist with cross membership with the Public Debate Steering Board. The following organisations were invited to nominate individuals for appointment to the Panel: the Devolved Administrations, Royal Society, non-government organisations, industry.

Remit

The Panel was given two principal functions: first, to oversee the science review and ensure that it is achieving its stated aims and objectives and second, towards the end of the review to summarise of the state of scientific knowledge, concerns and areas of uncertainty for each issue, as fairly and as accurately as possible.

Working arrangements

The Science Review Panel considered the scientific rigour of the information submitted during the course of the review (and other information available) before summarising the current state of scientific knowledge, identifying the consensus, what the uncertainties are, how these might be reduced, and where there are gaps in knowledge, so as to inform both Government and the public. The Panel's was published, and submitted to Ministers, on 21 July 2003. The Panel's Second Report was published, and submitted to Ministers, on 22 January 2004.

The Panel's working arrangements, terms of reference and remit were set out as follows:

  • Chair - Professor Sir David King (UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser)
  • Secretary - Dr Adrian Butt (OST/Defra)
  • Meetings will be held in public
  • The chair of the Panel will speak on behalf of the Panel
  • Members of the Panel will be able to present contributions during the review
  • Most work will be conducted by e-mail discussions between meetings
  • Draft and final Panel papers will be posted on the web site
  • It is not the role of the Panel to make recommendations on specific applications for consent to release or market GMOs. This is the statutory duty of the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) and Advisory Committee for Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP).

Members of the Panel

Details of SRP panel members, and their backgrounds and interests, are available here.

Panel Meetings and Papers

The Science Review Panel meetings were open to all members of the public who wished to observe. Meetings (together with links to papers) were held as follows:

  • First public meeting of the Science Review Panel - 10th December 2002 - 10.30am-1pm - Royal Society London, Wellcome Trust Lecture Theatre, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG.
    Agenda and Papers;

  • Second meeting of the Science Review Panel - 18 February 2003, 11am to 4pm - The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London SW1S 4BS

  • Third meeting of the Science Review Panel - 19 March 2003, 11.30am to 4pm - the Devon Room of the New Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden.

  • Fourth meeting of the Science Review Panel - 29 April 2003, 11am to 4pm - Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1

  • Fifth Science Review Panel Meeting - 13th May - The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London SW1S 4BS. Full panel meeting 10 - 1.15. Drafting group meetings 2 - 5.

  • Sixth Science Review Panel Meeting - 5th June - The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London SW1S 4BS. Drafting group meetings 11 - 1.45. Full Panel Meeting 10.30 a.m. until 5.30 pm.

  • Seventh Science Review Panel Meeting - 24th June - The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London SW1S 4BS. Full Panel Meeting 11.45 a.m. until 6.30 p.m.
    Minutes

  • Eighth Science Review Panel Meeting - 23 October - Royal Society, London - 9.30-15.00

  • Ninth Science Review Panel Meeting - 10 November - Covent Garden, London - 10.30-15:45

  • Tenth Science Review Panel Meeting - 24 November - Royal Institution, London - 10.15-16.45

  • Eleventh Science Review Panel Meeting - 22 December - New Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden Exhibition Centre

Drafting Group meetings:

The Science Review Panel's drafting subgroups - notes of whose meetings are available below - addressed three main areas:

  • Note of the first GM food and feed safety meeting (1 April 2003)

  • Note of the second GM food and feed safety meeting (13 May 2003)

  • Note of the first Environmental Impacts subgroup meeting (2 April 2003)(15kb)

  • Note of the second Environmental Impacts subgroup meeting (13 May 2003)

  • Note of the first Gene Flow, Detection and Impact subgroup meeting (8 April 2003)

  • Note of the second Gene Flow, Detection and Impact subgroup meeting (13 May 2003) )