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

To ask His Majesty's Government what provisions they are putting in place to ensure that precision-bred crops can be developed and commercialised in the United Kingdom, following the announcement of the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU on 2 June.

The secondary legislation needed to implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England was passed into law on 13 May 2025 and, following a six-month implementation period, the new regulatory system is due to commence on 14 November 2025.

We will agree a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers. We have been clear about the importance of being able to support the use of new and innovative technologies. We remain committed to moving forward with the Precision Breeding Act.