HSE - Scientific Advisory Committee on Genetically Modified Organisms (SACGM)

MEETING AT 10:30 ON TUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2002 AT ROSE COURT (GLOBE ROOM)

AGENDA

1. Welcome and apologies

2. Secretary's report on the emergency amendment to the GMO (Contained use) Regulations 2000 (GMO(CU)) and the closure of the Public Register. (ACGM/02/P1)

The ACGM Secretariat updated ACGM Members on developments concerning the emergency amendment of GMO(CU) and the closure of the Public Register. They were informed that:

• The public consultation had shown that the majority of those who responded were in favour of the proposal to amend the Regulations.
• The Regulations had been amended and the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) (Amendment) Regulations had entered into force on 8 February 2002.
• Advice had been sought from the Technical Sub Committee (TSC) on which information should be excluded from the Register.
• The TSC concluded that all information on location and activities relating to the pathogens and toxins listed in Schedule 5 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 should be excluded.
• In the spirit of openness, the TSC recommended that the Register should list the excluded pathogens but give no further information on location or activity.
• On 9 February 2002, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions issued a Direction (The Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) (Exclusion of Information from the Public Register) (No 1) Direction 2002) to withhold information as stated above.
• The Public Register which had been temporarily closed (although access had been made available on a case-by-case basis) had re-opened on 11 February 2002 with the sensitive entries excluded.

ACGM members understood the need to act quickly to amend the Regulations but expressed regret that ACGM had not been given the chance to discuss the amendment or contribute as a Committee to the Consultation. Some Members also thought that the measures would not in themselves stop people getting information on the whereabouts of dangerous pathogens as this information was already in the public domain. Amending the public register would however, ensure that the Government would not be making easily available information that could harm national security.

3. The Role of ACGM

(ACGM/02/P3)

ACGM discussed the role of the Committee in the light of the HSC Review of its Advisory Committees and uncertainty as to the role of the Committee expressed by Members at an earlier meeting.

Members felt that ACGM had an important role to play in providing advice in the area of contained use and that the tri-partite structure of ACGM was valuable and should be preserved.

ACGM could fulfil its current remit more effectively if the flow of information and general communication was improved between:

• ACGM and the Technical Sub Committee(TSC) - ACGM asked that the Secretary or Chair of the TSC report back on developments in the TSC at each ACGM meeting.
• ACGM and Other Biotechnology Advisory Committees - ACGM should forge closer links with other Biotechnology Advisory Committees.

These steps would help ACGM identify the key areas of work which the Committee will need to undertake between 2002 and 2005 and ensure that it is better placed to inform the work of other Advisory Committees and Commissions that may have remits which overlap to an extent with that of ACGM.

The ACGM Secretariat agreed to:

• map out the external environment of ACGM and look at the responsibilities of other Advisory Committees and Commissions for example the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC).
• examine the relationship between ACGM and TSC.

The Secretariat will then prepare another paper for the next meeting of ACGM.

4. Review and Evaluation of the ACGM Open Meeting. (ACGM/02/P2)

Members agreed that most of the key criteria for success were met for the ACGM Open Meeting. The main area where the event had fallen short of its aim was in attracting an audience on the day that represented a diverse range of stakeholders. Some Members were in favour of introducing a quota system for future Open Meetings which would help to ensure that Schools and Universities that wanted to attend the event could do so. Another change that would make it easier for Schools and Universities to attend would be to hold the event in term time.

ACGM Members and the ACGM Secretariat agreed that in future Open Meetings could not be as elaborate as this one had been. The possibility of having ACGM workshops on specific issues was also agreed.

5. Any Other Business

The date of the next meeting would be arranged by correspondence.

ACGM Secretariat - 5 March 2002