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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to enact (a) a mandatory Precision Bred Variety List for England and (b) mandatory labelling of precision-bred seeds and plant reproductive materials before the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 come into force.

For the main agricultural and vegetable plant varieties, a variety must be registered on the Great Britain (GB), or Northern Ireland (NI) variety lists before seed can be marketed. To implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, a new, mandatory Precision Bred Plant Variety List for England is proposed to facilitate the evaluation of precision bred agricultural and vegetable plant varieties in England.

Feedback from recent public consultation will be used to shape the regulatory framework for precision bred plants and plant reproductive material to ensure it reflects stakeholder concerns and priorities, including the need for clear, and accessible information on precision bred plant varieties. The feedback will inform future decisions on the inclusion of precision bred status in mandatory labelling of precision bred seed and other plant reproductive material.