UK consultation on gene editing

March 17 was the deadline for submitting comments to the UK’s public consultation on gene editing. The government will publish its response to the consultation within three months. According to UK sources earlier this week, the early indications are positive for the adoption of proportionate and pragmatic regulation on genome editing. Given pressure from NGOs, the government may include a ‘light’ regulatory review step. At an agricultural conference last month Prime Minister Johnson called for “bringing together the best of our farming traditions with potentially revolutionary technology, such as gene editing”.