§ 48. Mr. Remnantasked the President of the Board of Trade how many patent applications, considered to be in order for acceptance, are now awaiting their six figure numbers and formal acceptance.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftFour thousand four hundred and eighty on 2nd March, Sir.
§ Mr. RemnantCan my right hon. Friend say whether the number passed per week is about 450, and should not the procedure be speeded up, in view of the fact that any infringement is actionable only after publication?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI shall certainly do anything I can to speed it. The position has been aggravated by the dispute in the printing trade, but steps are being taken to increase printing capacity, which I think will lead to a reduction in the delay.