Key Facts

• Graham Stringer discusses preliminary announcements regarding parliamentary procedures.
• The Committee will hear oral evidence from various organisations on specific dates as per the programme motion.
• Written evidence received by the Committee shall be reported to the House for publication.
• Virus yellows can reduce sugar beet yield by up to 80%.
• Precision breeding could introduce virus-resistant genes into crops, reducing the need for synthetic insecticides.
• The EU plans a legislative proposal on gene editing and precision breeding in Q2 2023.
• It is expected that products from precision breeding will not be commercially available until at least five years after any legislative change.
• Health Canada recently reviewed its legislation to confirm precision bred organisms do not pose additional safety risks compared to conventionally bred plants.
• Argentina has seen an increase in small and medium-sized enterprises and public-good breeding R&D activities due to enabling regulations.
• Japan's tomato product has been successfully regulated, showing the benefits of proper regulation for commercial opportunities.
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies to all sectors with codes of practice being reviewed regularly.
• Soya beans are an example of a crop that is difficult to grow in the UK due to climate conditions.
• NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) is mentioned as a world-leading plant science organisation based in Cambridge.
• The Statutory Instrument passed recently will enable and facilitate R&D for precision breeding technologies.
• Professor Gideon Henderson is the chief scientific adviser at DEFRA.
• The session takes place until 10:35 am.
• Professor Henderson provides evidence via Zoom.
• The Bill aims to ensure continued safety of the environment and food while taking into account scientific advice.
• Some learned societies, like the Royal Society of Biology, have questioned the concept of precision bred organisms.
• ACRE (Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment) provides detailed guidance defining precision breeding processes.
• There is extensive peer-reviewed literature demonstrating the benefits and safety of gene editing technologies for precision breeding.
• The EU is consulting on changing its laws similar to the UK's proposed changes.
• Secondary legislation addressing animals outside farms will need further scientific input and could take two to three years.
• Professor Henderson discusses the impact of precision breeding on animal welfare.
• Precision breeding for animals requires a secondary instrument for regulation.
• Professor Robin May is chief scientific adviser at the Food Standards Agency.
• The FSA supports transparency but finds labelling genetically edited food products scientifically unenforceable.
• The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill proposes a two-tier regulatory approach for genetically modified foods.
• At present, part 3 of the Bill outlines the direction but lacks detailed regulations which will be developed through secondary legislation.
• Risk assessments will be shared closely with Food Standards Scotland and other international regulators to ensure scientific consistency.
• Professor May states that the Food Standards Agency has a mandate to protect consumers' interests in relation to food.
• The FSA conducts public communication on issues of interest, including precision breeding.
• There are concerns about online misinformation regarding genetically edited foods and the role of the FSA in addressing it.
• Professor Jim Dunwell is a professor of plant biotechnology at the University of Reading.
• He is chair of ACRE (Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment).
• Some people suggest that speed in scientific innovation implies intrinsic risk, but Professor Dunwell disputes this notion.
• The legal case created concern over traditional mutagenesis methods like chemicals or radiation.
• Scientists in the UK and EU recognized that this judgment was a perverse one for traditional methods.
• Professor Dunwell mentions that many plants have DNA from other organisms throughout their evolution.
• ACRE has observers from devolved authorities attending their meetings.
• EFSA reports continue to influence ACRE's discussions despite the UK leaving the EU.
• Modern genetically modified crops in the US can contain up to ten transgenes, while precision bred organisms involve fewer gene insertions.
• The science regarding plant safety is consistent across jurisdictions.
• Biology's complexity makes it difficult to provide strict legal definitions.
• Professor Dunwell highlights historical examples of environmental releases, such as domestication and agricultural practices.
• ACRE aims to explore applications in microbiology at future meetings.
• Further consideration of the session was ordered to be adjourned.
• The session will continue on the same day at Two o’clock.