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The British government's attempt to clear the genetically modified crops' deck before the election campaign suggests it does not want to give way on this issue.

Probably the most revealing part of the British government's recent announcement on the continuation of farm scale environmental tests of genetically modified crops was its timing.

With about three months left before the next British general elections, if the political pundits are correct, the government is busy clearing the deck of difficult business.

There is little doubt that the government's science-based genetically modified organisms' policy under attack from the activists and far from popular with some back benchers can be classified as such. Making this announcement early is, therefore, an indication that the government tends to stand its ground on the issue.

The news release confirmed that there would be no commercial use of the technology again this year, but that the farm-scale environmental trials would continue on a somewhat expanded basis - almost 100 trials, and with some adjustment around the edges. As people are still concerned about environmental aspect of genetically modified crops even though nothing damning has emerged from the 20 trial sites last year, their continuation under the existing three-year industry agreement was to be expected.

On scientific advice the minium separation distances between the trial crops and neighbouring conventional crops have been increased for oilseed rape from 50 metres to 100 metres and for forage maize from 50 metres to 80 metres.

More political in nature has been adjustments to local notification processes. Back in 1999 when the plans for the farm scale trials were hatched the government committed to being open about these trials. Part of the openness was the publication on the Internet and elsewhere of six-figure map references for the location of the trials.

This seemed like an innocent enough idea. The environmental activists, however, got to know of the trials before the local folk and took of advantage of this to stir up opposition.

The new provision involves communication with immediate neighbours, local organic growers bee keepers, and parish councils. Existing industry codes of practice already specify, with the exception of the parish councils, all this.

Provision for the national government to write to parish councils is something new.

English parish councils are responsible for everything not dealt with by district, county or the national government, which at the end of the day is not a great deal. But they are often the first point of call for parishioners not knowing where to take a grievance. They frequently play a mediation role and they have a reputation for avoiding confrontation.

In the context of anticipated friction this summer between environmental activists and farmers over genetically modified crop trials, they might be seen as having a natural role to play.

Dropped from last year's programme is a series of information at regional centres which probably did little to get information to the grass roots.

Most interestingly, however, the press release was issued six weeks earlier this year than last. Possibly as a result the list of trial sites, or more accurately their six figure map reference locations, had not been finalized. The news release simply noted the date on which they are to be published on the Internet.

The timing, therefore, seemed a little awkward, unless it was engineered to put as big a gap as possible between the election, now expected in May, and any government publicity for the trials.

Inconveniently for the government, however, fall seeded oilseed rape flowers, with its brilliant yellow bloom, in April. This botanical phenomenon, which results in the escape of gene-laden pollen, is a natural focus of attention for the activists.

Last year they chose to ignore the winter seeded rape crops, preferring the warmer weather of June and the blooming of the spring seeded crop for a background to their protests. They have already announced that they will not pass on the earlier opportunity this year.

February 15 2001