§ 2. Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieuasked the President of the Board of Trade haw many local authorities in Yorkshire have declined to pay the increased subscription now demanded for Patent Office publications.
§ Mr. MaudlingThree local authorities in Yorkshire have declined to pay the increased charge.
§ Mr. MallalieuIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in other important manufacturing areas, apart from these three, there is resentment against these charges? Does the right hon. Gentleman remember that this used to be a free national service, that then charges were imposed and now they have been increased? Can we be reasonably sure that we shall not have further increases in the near future?
§ Mr. MaudlingThis charge put on patent specifications has gone up from £100 to £140 a year. In that period the number of specifications has gone up from 20,000 to 30,000. The ordinary sale price of these specifications would be over £5,000, so I do not think it unreasonable to ask them to pay £140.