§ Mr. Trewasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now introduce legislation to implement the report of the Banks Committee on Patents and to give effect to the European Patent Treaties.
§ Sir G. HoweIt is clearly desirable that new British patent law should, in addition to implementing the main recommendations of the Banks Committee, be as consistent as possible with the new Community patent law. The latter, as defined in the two European Patent Treaties, will not be finally settled until May 1974. I do not, therefore, now propose to introduce new patent legislation in the next Session of Parliament, but to do so as soon as practicable thereafter.