To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the current annual budget is for the Genetic Modification Inspectorate (GMI) and whether the Government has plans to increase Government funding for the GMI if there is an increase in plantings of experimental GMO crops, following the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022; and if he will make a statement.
Answered on
27 April 2022
Approximately £266,879 was spent by the Genetic Modification Inspectorate (GMI) in the 2021/22 financial year on inspection and enforcement related to the deliberate release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and activity supporting management of adventitious GM presence.
The GMI has a key role in supporting enforcement around the regulation of genetic technologies. We will keep this activity under review in respect of any changes in demand resulting from increased plantings of experimental GMO crops as a consequence of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022.