§ Mr. HansonTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will outline the steps being taken by Her Majesty's Government in regard to the EC directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions (Com. (88) 496).
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§ Mr. McLoughlinWe accept the need for the directive, but the present draft will need a number of amendments before it is acceptable to us. The provisions on farm-saved seed and cross-licensing between patents and plant breeders' rights are not satisfactory to United Kingdom industry and other interest groups are not satisfied with the provisions intended to exclude from patentability certain inventions which would cause suffering to animals. In future negotiations we shall seek to resolve these concerns and ensure that the directive provides an acceptable framework in which the potential benefits of biotechnology can be realised.