Consultation on the changes to the Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal

Date of decision / Dyddiad y penderfyniad:

13 April 2012

Statement of information / Datganiad gwybodaeth:

The Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964 (as amended) provided for the creation of the Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal (“PVST”). The Tribunal covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland make provision for their own Tribunals. The purpose of the PVST is to hear and determine any matters referred to it relating to plant breeders’ rights and national listing.

The PVST hears appeals against decisions of the Controller of Plant Variety Rights matters (currently a senior official in the Food and Environment Research Agency (“FERA”)); and against decisions of the Agriculture Ministers on national seeds and listing matters.

The PVST has been included in Schedule 1 of the Public Bodies Act 2011, which allows for the PVST to be abolished.

The UK Government wishes to exercise its powers under the Act to abolish the PVST and transfer its functions to the Ministry of Justice Courts and Tribunals Service. As part of this process a public consultation on this issue will be undertaken by FERA on a UK-wide basis.