THE WELSH government has committed to additional funding to help harness the growing developments in genetic medicine.

The £6.8m pledge, which has been broadly welcomed, is hoped to ensure that Wales can compete on an international level in a fast developing field of medicine.

However, Welsh Conservatives are calling for assurances from the government that Wales’ communications infrastructure will be adequate to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the breakthrough.

Shadow Health Secretary, Angela Burns, said: "Genomics has enabled ground-breaking advances in research and medicinal applications, and holds an enormous hope for us all in the future.

"Indeed, finding alternatives for the treatment of illnesses that are caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria is almost entirely dependent on the study of bacteriophage genomics.

"We welcome this focus on the area of precision medicine, but the Welsh Government needs to step up its efforts to ensure that a reliable communications infrastructure is in place to encourage a network of specialised research facilities in this country to grow."