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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Welsh government on the application of the Precision Breeding Act 2023 in Wales; and what steps he is taking to support (a) plant breeders and (b) farmers in Wales given the regulatory disparity.

The secondary legislation needed to implement The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England was passed on 13 May 2025 and the new regulatory framework will commence on 14 November 2025.

The Department has engaged with the Welsh Government at Ministerial and official level to discuss the implementation of these regulations. The Department recognises the importance of working closely with Welsh Government on this and will continue to do so in the run up to the commencement of the new regulations.