Biotech regulatory gaps

#33 — Phage therapy shows AMR promise but faces significant clinical, licensing, and testing barriers.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Another area of research interest is phage therapy, which involves using viruses as antimicrobials to kill bacteria and is less likely to lead to resistance.84 Dr Partridge told us that in his view phage therapy holds great promise as a …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The government is committed to ensuring evidence informs AMR policy, through providing research funding aligned with the NAP top 10 research priorities, collaborating on …

Accepted

#9 — Continue implementing Precision Breeding Act and seek exemption in EU SPS negotiations

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should continue implementing England’s Precision Breeding Act, actively progress regulatory procedures to bring precision bred plants to market, and seek a targeted exemption for precision breeding in negotiations with the EU on the SPS agreement. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34) …

Gov response: The secondary legislation needed to implement The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England commenced on 13 November 2025. This marks a major milestone in delivering regulatory reform for precision breeding and …

Position Not Stated

#8 — EU genomic technology framework delay undermines UK precision breeding advantage

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The EU’s forthcoming new genomic technology (NGT) framework could take several years to be finalised, and waiting for alignment between the EU and UK on precision breeding would undermine England’s first-mover advantage and stall the development and release of PBOs. …

Gov response: The secondary legislation needed to implement The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England commenced on 13 November 2025. This marks a major milestone in delivering regulatory reform for precision breeding and …

Response Not Attributed

#7 — Ensure new EU regulations for GB agriculture incorporate specific climatic and scientific data

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should ensure in negotiations that GB will only adopt new EU regulations on PPPs and mycotoxin limits where GB climate, growing conditions and scientific data have been fully considered in their development. It should seek assurances, as a …

Gov response: The government is committed to ensuring that the SPS Agreement delivers positive outcomes for businesses across the UK, while safeguarding our high standards. The Common Understanding is clear that the European Commission should consult the …

Position Not Stated

#6 — Legislative divergence risks inappropriate EU regulations for GB production systems

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Legislative divergence between the UK and EU has occurred given the EU no longer considers GB-specific scientific evidence, such as climatic conditions relevant to mycotoxin formation or the agronomic need for certain plant 34 protection products (PPPs). As such, full …

Gov response: The government is committed to ensuring that the SPS Agreement delivers positive outcomes for businesses across the UK, while safeguarding our high standards. The Common Understanding is clear that the European Commission should consult the …

Response Not Attributed

#27 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should consult on mandatory PFAS disclosures across supply chains within six months, requiring manufacturers and importers to report the presence and purpose of PFAS in products placed on the UK market to support safe handling and disposal. (Recommendation, …

Gov response: Improving transparency of PFAS within supply chains is distinct from consumer-facing information considered in recommendation 11. Clearer information on where PFAS are used, in what quantities, and for what purposes can support regulatory decision-making, improve …

Position Not Stated

#22 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Whilst PFAS-containing consumer products remain on the market, the Government should introduce interim limits on PFAS levels and require standardised labelling to ensure consumers are fully informed. Implementation should be led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, …

Gov response: As set out in the PFAS Plan, greater transparency around PFAS in consumer products is an important part of building public confidence, supporting informed consumer choice and enabling the transition away from PFAS use. The …

Position Not Stated

#21 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should set limits on the levels and types of PFAS permitted in food, giving producers, retailers, and regulators a consistent basis for protecting public health. This should include establishing and monitoring 45 limits on PFAS entering the food …

Gov response: Protecting public health from harmful chemical exposures is a priority for this government. We recognise the importance of tackling exposure to PFAS through food and are committed to ensuring that decisions in this area are …

Position Not Stated

#17 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should invest in long-term research on the health effects of PFAS exposure in the UK population. Within 12 months, it should publish a delivery plan setting out epidemiological studies to assess the cumulative impact of multiple PFAS and …

Gov response: Building a robust evidence base on the long-term health effects of PFAS exposure, including for higher-risk groups, is important to inform proportionate and effective public health responses. Human biomonitoring is a way of measuring chemicals …

Position Not Stated

#16 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: While gaps remain in understanding the toxicity of every individual PFAS, the evidence indicates that several PFAS are associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Studies of highly exposed groups show clearer and more immediate risks, underscoring the …

Gov response: As set out in our response to recommendation 1, the Environmental Principles Policy Statement sits at the heart of our approach to environmental policy. The Polluter Pays Principle is central to our approach to chemicals …

Under Consideration

#15 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should consult on the establishment of an industry-funded mechanism to rapidly assess the properties and risks of newly developed PFAS before they are permitted for use, and invest in the development of 44 safer alternatives. This mechanism should …

Gov response: Reducing PFAS emissions and supporting the transition to safer alternatives are central to the long-term approach set out in the PFAS Plan. As outlined in our response to recommendation 4, a key outcome of the …

Position Not Stated

#14 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should draw on independent scientific and regulatory expertise in taking a group-based approach for PFAS regulation within three months of the EU’s forthcoming assessment. This should include assessing options for grouping PFAS with similar structures, so that future …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee on the potential benefits of a group-based approach to PFAS regulation in addressing risks more effectively and efficiently and already draws on extensive independent scientific and regulatory expertise in …

Accepted

#13 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Without a broad, group-based restriction on PFAS, the Government risks a “whack-a-mole” approach. (Conclusion, Paragraph 56)

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee on the potential benefits of a group-based approach to PFAS regulation in addressing risks more effectively and efficiently and already draws on extensive independent scientific and regulatory expertise in …

Response Not Attributed

#12 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Due to the impracticality of assessing thousands of PFAS one by one, and the risk that new substances emerge faster than they can be evaluated, the UK’s current approach leaves regulators struggling to keep pace with industry innovation. While the …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee on the potential benefits of a group-based approach to PFAS regulation in addressing risks more effectively and efficiently and already draws on extensive independent scientific and regulatory expertise in …

Response Not Attributed

#11 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Replacing one PFAS with another can perpetuate long-term environmental and health risks and can lead to regrettable substitutions, whereby banned substances are rapidly replaced by chemically similar and potentially harmful alternatives. (Conclusion, Paragraph 54)

Gov response: Reducing PFAS emissions and supporting the transition to safer alternatives are central to the long-term approach set out in the PFAS Plan. As outlined in our response to recommendation 4, a key outcome of the …

Response Not Attributed

#10 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should commission the Health and Safety Executive under UK REACH to bring forward restrictions on PFAS in non-essential consumer products (e.g. food packaging, cookware and school uniforms) without delay and begin a phased restriction from 2027. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

Gov response: We are working across government to explore the most effective routes to address these risks. This includes work to consider how best to manage chemicals in consumer products more broadly, including PFAS. This will include …

Position Not Stated

#9 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should adopt an essential-use approach to regulating PFAS, prioritising the rapid restriction of PFAS in non-essential applications. Clearly defined exemptions should be set for essential uses, with time-limited derogations where substitutes are still being developed. (Recommendation, Paragraph 46)

Gov response: A key outcome of the PFAS Plan is enabling industry to transition away from PFAS use towards safer alternatives. As set out in our response to recommendation 3, this includes drawing from final EU REACH …

Position Not Stated

#8 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should reform UK REACH by March 2027 to avoid further delay in restricting PFAS. The Government should set targets at half the statutory maximum timescales and ensure that the Health and Safety Executive has the resources to meet …

Gov response: We share the Committee’s ambition to ensure UK REACH remains an effective and proportionate framework for managing risks to human health and the environment, including those posed by PFAS, while supporting innovation and maintaining industry …

Position Not Stated

#7 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: UK REACH must be reformed to enable swifter restrictions on PFAS to ensure the UK can align with emerging evidence to act more quickly on substances of concern. (Conclusion, Paragraph 37)

Gov response: We share the Committee’s ambition to ensure UK REACH remains an effective and proportionate framework for managing risks to human health and the environment, including those posed by PFAS, while supporting innovation and maintaining industry …

Response Not Attributed

#1 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: PFAS are highly persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals with the potential for long-term environmental and human harm, despite ongoing scientific uncertainties around the toxicity of different PFAS. (Conclusion, Paragraph 22)

Response Not Attributed

#16 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The Government should consider requiring any manufacturer making genomic tests available to consumers in the UK to register a legal representative in the UK, with responsibility for ensuring that products supplied to consumers in the UK meet all relevant UK …

Gov response: MHRA’s public consultation explores the registration of medical devices in the UK and the outcome of this will help to inform future policy on this recommendation.

Position Not Stated

#3 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: Most manufacturers of genomic tests sold directly to consumers can self-certify the conformity of their products to performance requirements. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has suggested that this restricts its ability to ensure that genomic tests on the …

Gov response: The outcome of MHRA’s public consultation will help to inform future policy on how DTC genomic tests are regulated and in turn, how they are assessed prior to being placed on the UK market.

Position Not Stated

#1 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: A range of benefits and concerns have been raised regarding the availability of genomic testing for direct purchase and use by consumers. These apply to all types of genomic tests, but are arguably most acute for tests used for medically-related …

Gov response: The Government recognises both the opportunities and risks raised by direct-to-consumer genomic tests and is committed to ensuring effective and proportionate regulation. The MHRA is working to develop a robust, world-leading regulatory regime for medical …

Accepted

#2 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department and regulators have been slow to follow best practice in facilitating innovation. The Government’s 2019 White Paper ‘Regulation for the 4th Industrial Revolution’ found that only 29% of businesses believed that government’s approach to regulation facilitates innovation. The …

Gov response: 2: PAC conclusion: The Department and regulators have been slow to follow best practice in facilitating innovation. 2: PAC recommendation: Government should require regulators to engage meaningfully with businesses to explore potential new ideas and …

Not Addressed

#18 — Commission ONR to develop proposals for a replacement methodology to SUPDC.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The Government should commission the Office for Nuclear Regulation to develop proposals for a replacement methodology to SUPDC. The ONR could consider the risks posed by different nuclear technologies, recognising that some novel technologies may pose greater or lesser risks …

Gov response: as part of new models, as well as the potential benefits of new nuclear for achieving Net Zero and our energy security, we are committed to reviewing the criterion following EN-7’s designation. We note the …

Position Not Stated

#7 — Urgently move psychedelic drugs to Schedule 2 to facilitate medical research.

Home Affairs Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the UK Government’s commitment to reducing barriers to researching psychedelic drugs under Schedule 1 to the 2001 Regulations. Pending the outcomes of the ACMD’s ongoing review of Schedule 1 controlled drugs, we recommend the UK Government urgently moves …

Gov response: The Government awaits the ACMD’s advice, which it will consider carefully before taking a decision. This process is a statutory requirement that must be met before amending the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. In December …

Position Not Stated

#18 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: As part of reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, the government should separate the RCVS’s professional leadership role from any regulatory functions within the veterinary profession, creating a new independent body that can oversee the expanded role of a reformed …

Response Pending

#17 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: In professions such as medicine and law, regulatory functions have been separated from professional bodies, with oversight vested in independent regulators. Self-regulation is increasingly unsuitable for a profession where vet practices and services are coming under the ownership of corporate …

Response Pending

#14 —

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) presents an important opportunity to modernise regulation, support a more flexible workforce, and strengthen public confidence. Reform is clearly needed, but it must be carefully designed, with clear definitions of roles and …

Response Pending

#38 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government must commit, within six months, to funding the research and development of non-incineration PFAS destruction technologies through UK Research and Innovation and Innovate UK. (Recommendation, Paragraph 125) 48

Gov response: Further research and development into alternative destruction technologies plays a key role in supporting incineration capacity in the UK. Developing effective non-incineration methods is needed to build a sustainable long-term approach to managing PFAS waste …

Position Not Stated

#37 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should assess the volume of PFAS containing waste expected from forthcoming restrictions and determine whether UK high- temperature incineration capacity is sufficient. The Government should write to the Committee with its findings and proposed actions within six months. …

Gov response: The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of PFAS restrictions for waste management infrastructure, including whether sufficient treatment and disposal capacity is available to manage additional PFAS-containing waste safely. We are keeping this …

Position Not Stated

#36 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: PFAS contamination cannot be addressed without reliable destruction capacity. Current UK incineration capacity is insufficient to treat the increasing volume of PFAS containing waste diverted from landfill, and significant gaps remain in the availability, scalability, and verification of other destruction …

Gov response: The government recognises the importance of understanding the implications of PFAS restrictions for waste management infrastructure, including whether sufficient treatment and disposal capacity is available to manage additional PFAS-containing waste safely. We are keeping this …

Response Not Attributed

#35 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government must publish formally approved guidance for PFAS remediation to provide businesses, local authorities and regulators with the certainty needed to deliver timely, safe and effective remediation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 116)

Gov response: The government recognises the value of formally approved guidance to support timely, safe and effective PFAS remediation, and is taking forward work to develop this in a way that reflects the current and evolving evidence …

Position Not Stated

#34 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should support the development and deployment of scalable, cost-effective PFAS remediation technologies by directing investment through UK Research and Innovation into research, innovation and practical support. (Recommendation, Paragraph 115)

Gov response: Accelerating the development and deployment of effective PFAS remediation technologies will be essential to addressing the long-term legacy of PFAS contamination. Given the complexity and scale of the challenge, investment in research and innovation will …

Position Not Stated

#33 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Industry urgently needs clear direction and Government approval on viable remediation methods so that contaminated materials can be treated safely and at scale. (Conclusion, Paragraph 114)

Gov response: The government recognises the value of formally approved guidance to support timely, safe and effective PFAS remediation, and is taking forward work to develop this in a way that reflects the current and evolving evidence …

Response Not Attributed

#32 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Existing PFAS contamination in the environment must be addressed alongside prevention. Even with strong restrictions on future PFAS use, the UK already faces significant legacy contamination. Without action now, this legacy burden will pose long-term risks to public health and …

Gov response: As set out in our response to recommendation 1, the Environmental Principles Policy Statement sits at the heart of our approach to environmental policy. The Polluter Pays Principle is central to our approach to chemicals …

Response Not Attributed

#31 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should apply the polluter pays principle to prevent ongoing and historic PFAS contamination and consult by March 2027 on establishing a national PFAS Remediation Fund. The Government should: • explore the implications of an emissions levy for PFAS …

Gov response: As set out in our response to recommendation 1, the Environmental Principles Policy Statement sits at the heart of our approach to environmental policy. The Polluter Pays Principle is central to our approach to chemicals …

Position Not Stated

#30 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government has not applied the polluter pays principle adequately to deter future PFAS emissions nor has it allocated sufficient government funding to tackle the remediation of PFAS in the environment where liable parties cannot be identified. (Conclusion, Paragraph 107)

Gov response: As set out in our response to recommendation 1, the Environmental Principles Policy Statement sits at the heart of our approach to environmental policy. The Polluter Pays Principle is central to our approach to chemicals …

Response Pending

#29 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Remediating PFAS contamination in the environment is expensive and technically complex. The current regulatory approach that permits continued use of PFAS until harm is proven means that these substances can legally continue to accumulate in the environment, steadily increasing the …

Gov response: As set out in our response to recommendation 1, the Environmental Principles Policy Statement sits at the heart of our approach to environmental policy. The Polluter Pays Principle is central to our approach to chemicals …

Response Pending

#28 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government must set out in its response a timeline to divert PFAS waste from landfill towards safer treatment or destruction technologies to manage increasing volumes of PFAS waste without causing further environmental contamination. (Recommendation, Paragraph 95)

Gov response: Effective PFAS waste management which addresses the risks associated with disposal to landfill is very important. We recognise the need to reduce the potential for PFAS to enter landfill and to support the development and …

Position Not Stated

#26 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Lack of supply chain transparency fundamentally undermines the UK’s ability to manage PFAS at end-of-life, leaving councils, waste operators and regulators unable to prevent products with PFAS entering landfill, and leading to further pollution of waterways, soil and the wider …

Gov response: Improving transparency of PFAS within supply chains is distinct from consumer-facing information considered in recommendation 11. Clearer information on where PFAS are used, in what quantities, and for what purposes can support regulatory decision-making, improve …

Response Not Attributed

#24 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should provide full detail, in its response, on how its PFAS monitoring strategy will support enforcement and remediation. This should include a clear explanation of how monitoring results will be used to identify risks, guide remediation activity, and …

Gov response: As part of a robust PFAS monitoring strategy, EA is prioritising monitoring activity and using the resulting data to identify risks, target regulatory action, and support remediation, in line with the intent of this recommendation. …

Position Not Stated

#23 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Whilst the PFAS Plan sets out monitoring commitments, it lacks the specificity needed to inform and deliver action. Without clear requirements on what to monitor, the methods to use, and the thresholds for concern, and without adequate funding and laboratory …

Gov response: As part of a robust PFAS monitoring strategy, EA is prioritising monitoring activity and using the resulting data to identify risks, target regulatory action, and support remediation, in line with the intent of this recommendation. …

Response Not Attributed

#20 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Although the Government has begun setting statutory limits for PFAS in drinking water, which is a welcome step, significant gaps remain in managing and limiting human exposure to PFAS through food and agricultural pathways. (Conclusion, Paragraph 76)

Gov response: Protecting public health from harmful chemical exposures is a priority for this government. We recognise the importance of tackling exposure to PFAS through food and are committed to ensuring that decisions in this area are …

Response Not Attributed

#6 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government should make use of existing EU-UK dialogue mechanisms to support UK alignment with EU REACH to avoid unnecessary regulatory divergence. Whilst UK Government may choose a different approach in some areas, without such alignment, UK manufacturers risk accidentally …

Gov response: We recognise that our supply chains, ecosystems and markets are deeply interconnected with those of the EU, and many of the challenges we face, including on issues such as PFAS are better tackled together. We …

Position Not Stated

#5 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: UK REACH, in its current lagging and slow-moving form, risks leaving the UK behind international best practice and limits the Government’s ability to respond swiftly to emerging scientific evidence on PFAS. This increases the likelihood of further regulatory divergence between …

Gov response: We are working across government to explore the most effective routes to address these risks. This includes work to consider how best to manage chemicals in consumer products more broadly, including PFAS. This will include …

Under Consideration

#4 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government must act in line with the environmental principles, taking preventative and precautionary action to reduce cumulative PFAS exposure to both people and the environment. We expect the Government to set out in its response how its approach to …

Gov response: The Environmental Principles Policy Statement is a distinctive and essential feature of the UK’s environmental governance framework, providing a clear and legally recognised foundation for embedding environmental protection across government policy, and we welcome the …

Position Not Stated

#3 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: Voluntary action on PFAS and self-regulation by industry are not sufficient to ensure transparency, accountability or reduce PFAS emissions. (Conclusion, Paragraph 24)

Response Not Attributed

#2 —

Environmental Audit Committee

Recommendation: The Government’s PFAS Plan disproportionately focuses on expanding PFAS monitoring rather than preventing or remediating contamination. Applying the Government’s own environmental principles demands decisive action now to limit further release and exposure. (Conclusion, Paragraph 23)

Gov response: We recognise that our supply chains, ecosystems and markets are deeply interconnected with those of the EU, and many of the challenges we face, including on issues such as PFAS are better tackled together. We …

Under Consideration

#17 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: As well as companies offering products to consumers that combine genomic testing with analysis of the genomic data obtained through the test, some companies offer secondary analysis of genomic data obtained through a previous genomic test from a different company. …

Gov response: MHRA’s public consultation explores the scope of medical device regulations in the UK and the outcome of this will help to inform future policy on this recommendation. Published: 1 November 2021 Site information Accessibility statement

Position Not Stated