§ MR. SLOANTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he can state the number of foreign patentees, together with the articles they manufacture, registered in England, and who are likely in future, in view of the Patents Act, to have such goods produced in Great Britain.
(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The total number of owners of existing British patents who are foreigners is estimated by the Patent Office to be about 30,000. It is impossible to foretell what number of these patentees will, in consequence of the Patents Act, work 1588 their patents in this country; but it would appear from the accounts in the public press that several of them have already commenced such working, and that others are proposing to do so. I may add that several applications for revocation for non-working in this country are at present before the Comptroller.