Letter: Sainsbury must go

Sir: The case for Lord Sainsbury to resign, or be sacked, as Science Minister because of the conflicts between his extensive commercial holdings in biotechnology and plant-breeding companies and his duties to safeguard the public interest in these issues is overwhelming ("Lord Sainsbury in Monsanto talks", 8 March).

Since Friends of the Earth first revealed the extent of Lord Sainsbury's investments last December, the Government has repeatedly defended his impartiality because the holdings sit in a blind trust. When we pointed out that all his investments return to his control once he ceases to be a minister, we were told that Lord Sainsbury "left the room" whenever policy discussions on biotechnology took place.

When we pointed out that he did not leave the room when he chaired a meeting with us and industry representatives on how to hold public consultations on GM foods, we were told that that meeting didn't count - and that Lord Sainsbury never discusses government policy on GM issues with anyone.

When we replied that, as Science Minister, he went to China and Korea last September with Professor Ray Baker, chief executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council (BBSRC) to promote UK biotechnology programmes and secure bilateral agreements, we were told he took no part in such discussions. We pointed out that this visit prepared the way for a Foreign Office sponsored UK-China ministerial meeting this month on genetically modified plants; and anyway, what about a photograph which shows Lord Sainsbury overseeing the signing of a collaborative agreement between the BBSRC and the Korean Institute for Biosciences and Biotechnology?

When we asked to see the agreements and to have confirmed in writing that Lord Sainsbury took no part in any biotechnology discussion, Professor Baker told us "no", because there were no publicly available papers or statements about this trip or the agreements.

When we were told that "to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Lord Sainsbury takes no interest in the science of GM organisms", we replied that Lord Sainsbury has repeatedly confirmed in public his longstanding, passionate interest in this science.

When we asked about Lord Sainsbury's loan to Diatech, one of his biotechnology companies, which was completed while he was minister, we were told that, as the loan agreement had been settled in the week before he became minister, there could be no possible conflict of interest.

When we continued to call on him to do the decent thing and resign, Lord Sainsbury continued to insist that he had nothing to do with GM food issues in government. Now The Independent has revealed that, as minister, he met with Monsanto the US GM crop giant, and discussed GM crops and food.

Tony Blair's ministerial code of conduct is quite clear that not only must conflicts of interest be avoided, they must be seen to be avoided. Lord Sainsbury position is untenable. He must go.

CHARLES SECRETT

Director

Friends of the Earth

London N1