§ Mr. CranTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress is being made in the planned relocation of the Patent Office to Newport, south Wales; how many civil servants will be involved in the transfer; and when he expects the relocation to be complete.
§ Mr. ForthPlans for the relocation of the Patent Office to Newport are on schedule for completion by September 1991. The trade marks branch has already begun to move and will be fully established in refurbished existing accommodation at the Duffryn site by May 1989. Construction of a new building on the same site for the remainder of the office will begin early next year. In the meantime, other posts are being transferred to temporary accommodation in the area. The move involves some 850 posts of which over 500 are expected to be filled by staff recruited locally in Wales.