Call for written evidence: Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill

Aims of the Bill

The Bill makes provision about the release and marketing of, and risk assessments relating to, precision bred plants and animals, and the marketing of food and feed produced from such plants and animals.

As set out in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill , the Bill aims to  “reduce the regulatory burden and financial barriers in place for researchers and commercial breeders using precision breeding technologies”. It removes plants and animals produced using modern biotechnologies, and the food and feed derived from them, from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) regulation if those organisms could have occurred naturally or been produced by traditional methods. The Explanatory Notes state that the Bill “replaces GMO controls with more proportionate and scientific measures”.[1]

The Bill includes provisions to:

• Bring in two mandatory notification systems for precision bred organisms (PBOs): one for non-marketing purposes (research and development) and one for marketing purposes;
• Allow for new powers to introduce on-going obligations to report information relating to the health and welfare of precision bred vertebrate animals, and to prescribe the processes and powers the Secretary of State can use to take the necessary action in response to this post-marketing animal welfare information;
• Create a duty on the Secretary of State to create and maintain a new public register of notified information. The register is to be kept in electronic form and accessible on gov.uk;
• Grant powers to create a new regulatory framework for food and feed derived from PBOs, ensuring that appropriate regulation is in place before placing these products on the market. This framework will include a procedure for making precision bred food and feed marketing authorisations including a new proportionate risk assessment. The framework will also set out the requirements to be satisfied before the Secretary of State could issue a food and feed marketing authorisation;
• Grant powers for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to establish, publish and update a public register for PBOs authorised for food and feed use. An entry on this register would indicate that the Secretary of State has made a determination to authorise the PBO, and products derived from it to enter the market for food and feed uses based on the recommendation of the FSA; and
• Grant powers to create an inspection and enforcement regime, including civil sanctions, in order to secure compliance with the obligations under the Bill.

Follow the progress of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 25 May 2022. A debate on Second Reading was held on 15 June 2022.

• Bills before Parliament: Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill
• Read Explanatory Notes: Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill
• House of Commons Library Briefing Paper

Oral evidence sessions are expected to be held on Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 June.

Guidance on submitting written evidence

Deadline for written evidence submissions

The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration and possibly reflect it in an amendment. The order in which amendments are taken in Committee will be available in due course under Selection of Amendments on the Bill documents pages. Once the Committee has dealt with an amendment it will not revisit it.

The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Tuesday 28 June and the Committee is scheduled to report by Tuesday 12 July. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Tuesday 12 July. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.

Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk

Further guidance on submitting written evidence can be found here.

Image: Parliamentary Copyright

[1] HCB 11, Explanatory Notes [pdf]