§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Departmental Committee which met at the Board of Trade in May, 1895, to consider the erasure of patent agents from, the register on non-payment of renewal fees, has yet reported; and, in 93 such case, if he proposes to lay the Report upon the Table, or can state its general conclusions, and particularly if the liability under the existing law to pay renewal fees by agents desiring to remain on the register has been established?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. C. T. RITCHIE,) CroydonI think the Question is put under a misapprehension. No Departmental Committee has been appointed "to consider the erasure of patent agents from the register in non-payment of renewal fees." If my hon. Friend will refer to Rule 13 of the Patent, Agent Rules, 1889, he will see that if an agent's name is erased from the register, the Board of Trade may order that the name be restored, and that by Rule 18 the Board may appoint a, Committee to report to them upon the application of a patent agent for the restoration of his name to the register. The Board appointed a Committee of two to report their opinion as to whether a particular agent's name should again be put upon the register. The Committee reported that the agent's name should be restored, subject to payment of fees; the Board accepted the Report, and made an order accordingly. The Department is advised that agents desiring to remain, on the register are legally bound to pay the prescribed fees. The Rules on the subject have been laid on the Table.