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TERRORISM
I condemn, without reservation, terrorism and murder.
There is no reason for it and no one has the right to carry out such acts!
Terrorists choose violence rather than the ballot box to
inflict death and pain on innocent civilians. They justify their action by
flying the banner of religion, race or political sovereignty.
Islam, like other world religions such as Judaism and
Christianity, is a way of life for over 1000 million people in this world.
Millions of these Muslims from Indonesia to Nigeria, from Central Asia to
the leafy suburbs of California, knew nothing about Osama Bin Ladin before
11th September! For these millions of people, and for Islam, there is no
place for terrorism or violence. Terrorists have no authority or consent
to act on behalf of any people of whatever race or religion. Therefore, we
must fight terrorism and target terrorists - not innocent civilians who
wish to live in peace irrespective of their race and religion.
Human life is precious and death of innocent
civilians - wherever it occurs - is simply not acceptable! Reason without
passion is sterile. Passion without reason is heat! Therefore, let us be
firm and decisive and target terrorism. Let us remove the causes that
conceive, feed and sustain terrorism!
(Speech to European Parliament
02.10.01)
CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE
There are 4500 farmers of British, Dutch, German and
Greek origin who own 8.3 million hectares of land in Zimbabwe. Nine white
farmers and 360 black farm workers have been killed in the chaos over the
last few months. Thousands of black farmers have lost their jobs and their
homes and the farms are unworkable. Zimbabwe depends on the success of
agriculture and the contribution of these farmers is vital to sustain its
economy. There is money available from the United Kingdom government under
the Lancaster House Agreement and there is a willingness among the white
farmers to give up 80% of their land to settle the black families. Mugabe
must accept such a solution.
The poorest in Zimbabwe do not want to shoot, kill,
loot and burn crops. They are hungry and unemployed. They need food,
education, health, employment and shelter. It was the vision and quality
of Nelson Mandela that at last set an example for South Africa that
reconciliation, cooperation, democracy and respect for all people,
irrespective of their colour, is the only way to help the poorest to be
free of poverty and disease.
(Speech to
European Parliament 06.09.01)
EU FUNDING FOR
THE EASTERN REGION
Our Region is the only Region in the UK to receive
increased EU funding for Objective 2 for the period 2000-2006. For the 1994-1999 period, the Eastern Region received
approximately £180m. For the 2000-2006 period about £288m is available
through various schemes. On top of this, the Region will benefit
significantly from CAP receipts and this may be up to £300m each year. I
played my full part in achieving this and will continue to fight for
economic development of our Region.
FACE THE FUTURE WITH SCIENCE
We feed twice as many people today than in 1950
as a consequence of intensive use of chemical fertilisers &
pesticides, new soil technology and better seed varieties resulting from
decades of modest advances in research and development by plant
geneticists and breeders. Despite this success, an estimated 40% of
the world's harvest continues to be lost to pests, diseases and weeds. We
cannot continue to pollute our soil and crops with larger quantities and
stronger chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Therefore, we need our
scientists to use gene transfer technology to select what is best for us
without causing significant change or damage to the ecosystem.
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Biotechnology aims to manipulate or modify organisms
by gene transfer in a laboratory to provide desirable products for man's
use, e.g. by improving barley for brewing qualities, selecting dairy
cattle for milk production, using certain bacteria and yeast in the
production of traditional foods such as bread, yoghurt, cheese and wine.
The scientist can be precise in creating a new variety in less time and at
a lower cost than using natural mutation, e.g. the herbicide-tolerant
soybean developed by Monsanto and the insect pest resistant maize
developed by Novartis. Genetically modified (GM) tomatoes with improved
flavour and longer shelf life, GM oil seeds with an improved profile of
fatty acids for nutritional purposes and use of chymosin produced by GM
bacteria instead of rennet (derived from the stomach of calves) as the
milk-clotting enzyme in cheese production are other examples of benefits
we enjoy from advances in biotechnology. Most people will find GM
caffeine-free coffee to be more desirable than coffee beans treated
chemically to remove caffeine.
Developing countries with large arid regions need
seed varieties that are drought-tolerant and which will yield crops with
high mineral or vitamin content to substantially alleviate hunger and
malnutrition. The GM "golden" rice contains vitamin A supplement
in the form of beta-carotene to prevent blindness and it allows iron to be
more readily available to overcome widespread anaemia, which is prevalent
in poor countries where rice is the main staple food. The UK and the
European Union have comprehensive legislation in place to control the
development of GMOs in the laboratory as well as during experimental
trials and marketing. These regulations are more stringent than for
cultivating crops based on natural mutation. At the global level, the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety establishes the necessary framework of
regulatory controls permitting the development, movement and use of GMOs
world-wide. In the USA, Canada, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, China,
Italy & France millions of hectares are cultivated with GM crops. An
area one and a half times the size of the UK has been cultivated with GM
crops in the USA this year alone.
Our maize, starch (for biscuits & snacks), maize
syrup (for beverages), corn and rape seed oil - imported from the USA -
are mainly GM. We consume these products unknowingly, without question and
without fear. There has been no significant adverse reaction
attributed to consumption of GM crops. We know the risk of Salmonella in
eggs, E. Coli in meat, BSE in beef, dioxins in chicken and chemical sprays
on our fruit and vegetables but are less concerned about their safety than
that for GM crops The UK's biotechnology industry employs an estimated
35,000 people in almost 400 companies although there are no GM crops grown
commercially in UK.
The market for biotechnology products in Europe is
currently worth £30 billion and has the potential to be over £100
billion by 2005. Let us back science, support our scientists and benefit
from technology that will deliver high quality food as well as a healthy
and safe environment.
(Published in
Parliament Magazine Sept 2001)
ACTIVITIES
1. 29th August: Norfolk and Suffolk Area AGM.
2. 4th September: Constituents visit the Parliament
in Strasbourg.
3. 8th September: Addressed members at Hoxne.
4. 18th September: East of England Panel meeting.
5. 24th-27th September: Rome conference.
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