With the government preparing to decide whether GM crops should be grown commercially in the UK, opposition amongst the public remains.

The majority of Britons – 56 per cent – are opposed to genetically modified foods, with only 14 per cent in favour according to the latest Mori survey. However, a large percentage remains undecided.

The coming months will see an official national debate on GM technology alongside three reports. With PM Tony Blair and Margaret Beckett, the secretary of state for the environment making a final decision later this year. The pair are supporters of GM technology and reports from Whitehall suggest they have made their minds up already.

The government-funded national debate will take place nation-wide with conferences, meetings and talks scheduled. The findings will be reported to government which promises a full response.

The three reports will include: a review of the science, a study of the costs and benefits of growing GM crops in the UK and the result of the trials of GM crops. Only then will government decide whether to approve their cultivation in the UK.