This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New GM advisory body announced
05/06/2000
A new and independent body has been set up to advise both the Scottish Executive and UK Government on issues surrounding modern biotechnology.
From 5 June the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) will advise the Scottish Executive on issues that impact on agriculture and the environment. They will also look at issues of ethics and acceptability.
Members of the new Commission come diverse backgrounds, ranging from consumer and "green" issues, to farming, science, ethics and the biotechnology industry.
The Commission, alongside the Food Standards Agency and the Human Genetics Commission, complete a new framework for strategic advice on biotechnology issues. This new framework complements but does not replace work already done by existing regulatory and advisory bodies.
BACKGROUND
1. Members of the AEBC are as follows:
- CHAIR
- Professor Malcolm Grant - Professor of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge
- DEPUTY CHAIR
- Ms Julie Hill - Programme Advisor and former Director of Green Alliance
- MEMBERS
- Professor Michael Banner - Professor of moral and social theology at Kings College, London
- Ms Anna Bradley - Director of the National Consumer Council
- Ms Helen Browning OBE - Tenant Farmer, Eastbrook Farm; Founder and Director of Eastbrook Farm Organic Meats Ltd
- Dr David Carmichael - Managing Director of Battle and Pears Ltd, an arable farm concentrating on seed production from combinable crops
- Dr Philip Dale - Leader of the Genetic Modification and Biosafety Research Group at the John Innes Centre, Norwich
- Dr Ed Dart - Chairman of Plant Bioscience Ltd
- Dr Matthew Freeman - Senior Researcher at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology
- Mr John Gilliland - Arable farmer with a particular interest in sustainable production systems and the pioneering on non food crops
- Professor Robin Grove-White - Professor of Environment and Society; Director of the Centre for the Study of Environmental Change, Lancaster University
- Dr Rosemary Hails - Ecologist, and Principal Scientific Officer, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Oxford and lecturer at St Annes College Oxford
- Ms Judith Hann - A freelance broadcaster and writer who presented Tomorrow's World for 20 years
- Ms Edith Iweajunwa - Member of the Executive evaluation group for NHS Direct, and member of Partners Council for NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence)
- Dr Derek Langslow - Scientist specialising in nature conservation/biodiversity
- Professor Jeff Maxwell - Director, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute
- Dr Sue Mayer - Executive Director and Board member of Genewatch UK
- Dr Ben Mepham - Director of the Centre for Applied Bioethics at the University of Nottingham and Executive Director of the Food Ethics Council
- Ms Justine Thornton - Barrister specialising in environmental law
- Dr Roger Turner - Chief Executive Officer, British Society of Plant Breeders
2. Professor Jeff Maxwell, OBE, Director of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute in Aberdeen has been confirmed as the Scottish Executive's directly appointed member of the Commission.
3. The formation of the AEBC and the Human Genetics Commission (HGC) were announced following the review of the UK Government's framework for overseeing developments in biotechnology in May 1999. The Scottish arm of the Food Standards Agency will provide advice on GM food. The Human Genetics Commission will look at the impact of genetic technologies. AEBC will look at other aspects of biotechnology except food.
4. AEBC website will be activated on 5 June; www.aebc.gov.uk