reference
Department for EnvironmentFood & Rural Affairs (DEFRA),
"Genetic technologies regulation: government response explainer," updated 29 September 2021

Gene editing and the genetic technologies we are considering do not result in the introduction of DNA from different species but produce targeted changes to the existing DNA that could be made more slowly using traditional breeding methods or occur naturally. After considering the scientific evidence, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) have advised that an organism produced by gene editing does not pose an increased safety risk compared to current traditional breeding techniques, which would take far longer to introduce the same beneficial changes.