§ MR. D. A. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)asked the Secretary of State for War, Why, and when, Sir Frederick Abel ceased to be chemist to the War Department, and if he is in receipt of any pension; whether, before taking out the patent for a smokeless explosive in November, 1886, he first obtained the sanction of the Secretary of State, in accordance with the Rule requiring him to do so; and, in regard to Sir Frederick Abel's statement that he took out the patent for the purpose of reserving to the War Department the right of making and using it, whether the right of making use of any invention is reserved to the Crown under Section 27 of "The Patents, Designs, and Trades Marks Act, 1883," and provision made by section 44 of the same Act for enabling an inventor to put the War Department in possession of any improvement in munitions of war which he may discover, so that the Secretary of State may himself take out a patent for such improvement without any particulars relating to it coming to the knowledge of a Foreign Power; and, whether the patent taken out for the manufacture of a smokeless explosive by Sir Frederick Abel, when he was chemist to the War Department, is now vested in the Secretary of State?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)Sir Frederick Abel ceased to be chemist to the War Department on July 10, when he was appointed President of the Committee on Explosives. He is still in receipt of effective pay. Sir Frederick Abel's invention of a smokeless explosive was patented by him for the purpose of securing to the War Department priority of invention and the right of making and using it; and he did not think it necessary, under the circumstances, to obtain permission for so doing. The right of making use of any invention is reserved to the Crown under Section 27 of the Patents Act, subject to 333 terms agreed upon before or after use with the approval of the Treasury. It is not customary for patents to stand in the name of the Secretary of State, except in special cases of secrecy; but Sir Frederick Abel is perfectly ready to transfer his patent to the War Office.