Member

I conclude by restating our strong support for this statutory instrument. However, I look to the Minister to guarantee that the Government will not sell out to the EU on precision breeding and gene editing in any deal with the EU. I do not blame the Minister or any Defra Minister. We all know that Defra has been sidelined by the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Treasury and the Defence Secretary, and that the Government intend to take us back into the EU in everything but name. We know that the Government will sell out our fishermen to get some meaningless deal, putting us back under the European code, but I plead with the Minister to save gene editing. It is a great British success story; it must not be sacrificed in any futile EU gesture. I strongly support the regulations that we have here tonight.