Mr Martyn Evans asked the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, upon notice, on 9 December 1998:

Has the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) discussed projects involving any of the organisations or institutions identified in the answer to part (3) of question 3110 (Hansard , 15 July 1998, page 6277); if so, (a) which GMAC members are or were employed by those organisations, institutions or companies, (b) did those GMAC members attend the meetings at which the discussions took place, (c) did the GMAC members step aside from the meetings and (d) when did the meetings take place.

Mr Moore (Defence) —The Minister for Industry, Science and Resources has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

Yes, GMAC has discussed projects involving CSIRO, the University of Adelaide and the University of Melbourne at its meetings.

(a) Past and current GMAC members who are or were employed by organisations identified in the answer to part (3) of question 3110: Professor Randall Albury, Professor Angela Delves, Professor Ashley Dunn, Dr Wayne Gerlach, Professor Peter Hudson, Professor Staffan Kjelleberg, Professor Byron Lamont, Professor Peter Langridge, Dr John Manners, Professor Kevin Marshall, Mr David Martin, Professor Nancy Millis, Dr John Oakeshott, Professor Jim Pittard, Ms Rosemary Robins, Dr Margaret Roper, Associate Professor Richard Roush, Associate Professor Loane Skene, Dr Jan Tennent, Dr Robyn van Heeswijck, Dr John Watson, Dr Maxwell Whitten, and Professor Harold Woolhouse.

(b) Yes, GMAC members employed by the above organisations have attended meetings at which projects involving their organisations were discussed.

(c) GMAC members stand aside from Committee discussions only if there is a direct conflict of interest in a proposal. Such occasions occurred on 5 June 1991, when Dr Gerlach stepped aside from a GMAC meeting while his project was discussed, and on 17 November 1998 when Dr Oakeshott stepped aside for the same reason.

(d) Meetings at which projects from CSIRO, the University of Adelaide or the University of Melbourne were discussed took place on 13 February, 16 March, 18 June and 17 December 1990; 5 June 1991; 2 July and 29-30 July 1992; 30 June, 29 July and 25 November 1993; 3 March, 24 March, 23 June, 14 July, 3 November and 24 November 1994; 10 March, 2 June, 4 August, 1 September and 24 November 1995; 2 February, 23 February, 7 May, 31 May, 9 August, 10 September, 25 October and 22 November 1996; 7 February, 7 March, 14 May, 30 May, 1 August, 29 August, 30 October and 28 November 1997; 30 January, 27 February, 17 April, 15 May, 26 June, 11 August, 4 September, 16 October and 17 November 1998.