AFTER writing to the Prime Minister on the subject of genetically modified foods, I received a reply from the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group, which appears to be a sub-division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

In trying to reassure me on the safety of GM foods, they included a report entitled "Health Implications of Genetically Modified Foods," by Professor Liam Donaldson and Sir Robert May, dated May 1999.

Instead of reassuring me, it had exactly the opposite effect, for included in the proposals, is one that the population should be monitored to "detect any effects on health."

Apart from this being a total admission that they have not got a clue as to what effect GM foods will have on human health, they are proposing that the whole population of the United Kingdom should take part in a dubious experiment, without their consent .

The authors of this report, and their backers in MAFF, are guilty of arrogance beyond belief, and should be stopped right now. I urge every thinking and caring person to write protest letters to the Prime Minister and all politicians to stop this nonsense.

R DOUST (Mr), Lower Oldfield Park, Bath.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.