Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill

We have considered these matters in great depth. We ran a consultation. The overwhelming view of ...

I do not believe that people need to fear this technology. This is not about creating Frankenstei...

My hon. Friend, who knows a great deal about animal welfare issues in particular, raises some ver...

As the Secretary of State knows, I have long campaigned against the badger culls, so the idea tha...

My hon. Friend raises an important point. There is already some work going on to breed natural re...

Has the Secretary of State considered the impact that this Bill might have on public trust? Peopl...

I think consumers want to see fewer pesticides in their food, and technologies such as this open ...

The Secretary of State will know that section 20 of the Environment Act 2021 requires him to be a...

As I have set out, as a point of science, the scientific community and the UK Government rejected...

What restrictions are there around the world on the agricultural products of this technology? Doe...

My hon. Friend raises an important point. In fact, I was at the agrifood council when the Europea...

On definitions, the Secretary of State may be aware that the British Veterinary Association has e...

The Bill defines this quite tightly and lists what classes of animals are to be included. On some...

There is no doubt that a lot of the Bill is potentially of huge advantage, particularly in terms ...

There will be transparency in the sense that any authorised product will be listed. No marketing ...

Will the Secretary of State give way?

I will give way one more time, and then I will conclude.

I am keen to understand something. Although the territorial extent of the Bill’s provisions is ra...

This is a devolved matter, as the hon. Lady says. The Scottish Government have taken a particular...

Before I call the spokesperson for the Opposition, I note that we do not have very much time. It ...

This Bill comes in a week when food, how we produce it and what it does to us and how food produc...

Is the hon. Gentleman saying that the public good and commercial advantage are mutually exclusive...

Surely not, but they are not always the same thing, and that is the point.

We do not want a...

Order. We have to start with an immediate time limit of four minutes.

5.58 pm

I am speaking today in full support of the Bill, precision breeding and our outstanding scientist...

Hear, hear!

Quite. That is a mouthful, but the key here is “transgenic”. We were putting a gene from Escheric...

We have heard concerns that people feel that an exogenous species of DNA would be coming in. Does...

Yes. If the Bill contained a way of opening up the transgenic debate, be that in plants or animal...

The regulation of genetically modified foods is a devolved issue. It is important to emphasise th...

The way the hon. Lady is talking about gene editing implies that one can tell the difference. It ...

I accept the hon. Lady’s experience in this area, but there are many scientists who would differ ...

Will the hon. Lady give way?

I am going to make progress.

As previously, where the EU offers new scientific advice and m...

Does the hon. Lady not appreciate that farmers are also businesspeople and that a farmer will not...

This is about the devolved responsibilities of the Scottish Government and our intention to stay ...

The hon. Lady is making a lot of points about how this is, of course, a devolved area, but does s...

I thought I had made myself fairly clear. We are waiting for the EU review of this technology to ...

rose—

I will keep going for a bit.

Let me give the view of some of the organisations that have li...

I thank the hon. Lady for giving way. Is she aware that the last generation of new varieties were...

As I say, we are prepared to consider the technology as things progress but we are waiting on the...

As someone who has a farming business, I draw hon. Members’ attention to my entry in the Register...

I believe that this is a flawed Bill—it is not strategic, it is not clear and it does not do what...

Nature makes mistakes; that is how evolution comes about. So the mistakes that are reported in th...

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. As has been said, she clearly has expertise, but I am...

Is it the case that, if the EU were to allow this technology to go ahead, the hon. Lady would, li...

I am not making a blanket statement in that way. I am saying that if a whole load more safeguards...

I want to speak in support of the Bill. Anyone who comes to the rural idyll of South Cambridgeshi...

We have heard today of the potential benefits and of how gene editing could have a role to play i...

It is a pleasure to support this legislation, which is part of the Brexit dividend that gives us ...

In broad terms, I support the idea of encouraging a science-based approach to technologies such a...

Order. I call David Duguid.

6.43 pm

It has been said, but it bears repetition, that gene editing is different from genetic modificati...

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is clear that the Scottish National party would like to move at...

I may be tempted to agree with that, but, in my experience as a Scotland Office Minister, I think...

I thank the hon. Gentleman.

6.47 pm

It is a pleasure to wind up for the Opposition this interesting debate on gene editing. I must sa...

I thank all hon. Members for their contributions, particularly my hon. Friends the Members for So...

I welcome this Bill, which will hugely enhance our future food security. May I draw the Minister’...

I thank my hon. Friend very much. I believe my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble is an alum...