London - The British government admitted yesterday that it had been secretly testing genetically-modified crops despite promises to only work openly with the controversial seeds.
A ministry spokesman acknowledged the testing after the London newspaper the In- dependent On Sunday reported that the Agriculture Minister, Mr Nick Brown, had authorised the tests of genetically-modified (GM) corn in five British counties. The tests were so secret that even Mr Michael Meacher, the environment minister technically in charge of GM crops, knew nothing about them, the newspaper said.