Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 receives Royal Assent
24 Mar 2023
The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act received royal assent on Thursday 23 March, following 10 months of debate across both houses of parliament but devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not approved the commercial use of gene editing.
Secondary implementing provisions could take another two years to pass through parliament, meaning the new rules may not come into force before the next general election and it could be as long as 5 years before commercial production is underway.
Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament
Labelling and transparency of gene edited crops is of particular concern for many of those opposing or sceptical of the Bill. Click below to find links to consumer research undertaken by the FSA over the last 12 months.
It is clear from consumer opinion that labelling should be part of any future communication piece from the evidence provided so far:
Consumer perceptions of precision breeding Communicating information about precision breeding