§ 33. Mr. SMEDLEY CROOKEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that, according to the latest statistics issued by the Controller of Patents, the profit made by the Patent Office for the year ending 31st December, 1922, was £74,074, he will consider the advisability of reducing patent fees to encourage inventors?
Mr. WEBBThe fees paid on the grant of a patent are insufficient to cover the cost involved in the examination of patent applications and the profit made by the Patent Office is derived from the renewal fees which presumably are only paid on successful patents. In view of the fact that this profit has decreased of recent years, I am not prepared, as at present advised, to reduce these fees.