6 
A meeting was also held on June 2 with representatives of private 
industry to provide them with full information about the guidelines and 
to help determine the present and future interest of industrial labora- 
tories in this type of research. The meeting afforded one of the first 
opportunities for industry representatives to convene for discussion of 
this research. 
The expressed concern for the extension of these guidelines to 
other Federal agencies and the private sector is shared by the NIH and 
the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The letter from you, 
Mr. Chairman, and Senator Javits to the President expressed well these 
timely concerns. Following the NIH initiatives, the Department has been 
reviewing an appropriate mechanism to allow for a policy review of 
Government activities in this research area, including relevant activi- 
ties in the private sector. The Department has proposed to the President 
that an interagency committee be created to review the activities of all 
Government agencies conducting or supporting recombinant DNA research or 
having regulatory authority relevant to this scientific field. This 
committee could also coordinate activities with the private sector. The 
President has written to relevant Department Secretaries and Agency 
Heads urging their cooperation and participation in naming representatives 
to serve on this committee. 
The interagency committee will assist in facilitating compliance 
with a uniform set of guidelines for the public and private sectors and 
provide coordination among the several Government agencies that support 
or conduct this research. It is mandated to suggest appropriate adminis- 
trative or legislative proposals deemed appropriate for national 
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