Biotechnology In The UK

EDM number 795 in 1991-92, proposed by Nicholas Winterton on 03/03/1992.

That this House calls on the Secretary of State for the Environment to note the opinions expressed by the United States Government on the proposed regulation of biotechnology in the United Kingdom, which point out that while both countries believe that effective regulations play a vital role in ensuring health and environmental safety, the proposed United Kingdom regulations have major deficiencies which will affect international trade, are far removed from the risk-based approach founded on sound scientific principles adopted by other countries, will lead to considerable erosion of the primacy the United Kingdom now enjoys in certain areas of biotechnology, will eliminate or severely restrict the potential of United Kingdom institutions to bring products to market and will force the termination of Britain's healthy biotechnology industry, or its relocation outside the United Kingdom, without any corresponding improvement in health or environmental safety; and therefore urges the Secretary of State for the Environment to revise the regulations substantially in order to sustain the research and industrial base of the United Kingdom and its international competitive position.

This motion has been signed by a total of 47 MPs.