Written submissions to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification

4 September 2000

Kia ora,

The deadline for written submissions to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification is 1 December 2000.

You can get copies of the information pack for submissions from the Royal Commission on GM, PO Box 3554, Wellington, tel (04) 495 9151; or from their website.

Below is the text of the Call for Submissions.

Call for Submissions

1. Introduction - The Commission's terms of reference require it to seek the views of the public, including ethical, cultural, environmental, and scientific perspectives, on the use of genetic modification, genetically modified organisms, and products in New Zealand. As a part of this the Commission is now calling for submissions from the general public on the subject of genetic modification as it relates to the Commission's terms of reference.

2. Wider consultation - In addition to seeking written submissions from the public and its formal hearings, the Commission will hold a series of public meetings and hui across the country. Further details of these consultations will be made available on their website or on request from the Commission office.

3. Filing submissions - The deadline for the receipt of written public submissions is 1 December 2000. Submissions received after this date will not be accepted.

4. Submission format - The Commission has established some general formatting guidelines for submissions, and these are detailed in Appendix A

5. Submission template - The Commission has established a standard template for submissions from those accorded 'interested person'* status that is designed to assist the Commission in addressing the items set out in its terms of reference. A template for submissions is attached as Form 3.

6. Alternatively submissions may be prepared using the topic headings listed in Form 4. Submissions will be analysed on the basis of these topics and it would be helpful to the Commission if submissions follow this general format.

7. Submissions that do not follow either of these formats will be accepted.

8. Contact details - Submitters not using the template forms should ensure they at least complete the contact details section. These details will be required, for example, in relation to any further appearance before the Commission.

9. Electronic versions - Submissions should, preferably, be provided in electronic form, either on a disk, or submissions may be emailed to the Commission office.

10. Hard copy versions - Hard copy submissions should preferably be typed rather than handwritten, and mailed to the Commission at PO Box 3554, Wellington.

11. Publication of submissions - The Commission will place submissions on its website. However, the Commission reserves the right to refrain from publishing all or any part of a submission.

12. Confidentiality - There may be particular cases where persons wish to submit confidential information. If the Commission considers that sufficient grounds are established, submissions or parts of submissions will not be published on the website and will not be made available publicly.

13. Further appearance before the Commission - Any further participation, in the form of a personal appearance will be at the discretion of the Commission. In determining whether an appearance is required the Commission will have regard to the help it believes it could receive by hearing that person or body. Such an appearance may involve cross-examination.

14. Form Submissions - The work of the Commission will not be helped by persons who seek to flood the website or the Commission office with repeat or 'form' submissions based on a common template.

* A person, group or organisation accorded 'interested person' status to the Commission in terms of section 4A(1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1908

For useful information about GM food and organisms, you can check out the Rage website.

An excellent collection of information on GE food can be found on the NLP (Wessex) Campaign to Ban Genetically Engineered Food website.

Index page on Environment/Health/GE

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