Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, what plans she has to bring forward secondary legislation to help ensure the potential benefits to the UK’s plant breeding and seed supply sector.

We have already taken action to make field trials of precision bred plants easier in England. Several precision bred trials have already taken place and we have received notifications for more trials commencing this year.

Following the introduction of the Act, our next step is to develop the secondary legislation that will establish a new proportionate regulatory regime for the marketing of precision bred plants and animals, food and feed. This secondary legislation is expected in the next one to two years. Through this legislation we will support our leading scientists and breeders to capture the potential benefits of this technology for a more sustainable and resilient food system.