§ Mr. WhittingdaleTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the performance of the Patent Office since it became an agency. [41648]
§ Mr. Ian TaylorSince the Patent Office became an agency in 1990, it has consistently met its financial objectives and has successfully introduced accruals accounting. It has reduced overhead costs—that is, the cost of common services, by 46 per cent. over five years—and has substantially reduced its overall cost base. Through savings passed on to the customer, fees have been held steady for the last three years. In addition to these financial improvements, it has focused heavily on quality and standards of service to its customers and was awarded a charter mark in 1993.
448WThe Patent Office's performance as an agency has won recognition both within the UK and overseas. In recent years delegations from many different countries—Japan, China, Korea, the former Russian States, New Zealand, Canada and the USA—have visited the office to learn about its management and operational procedures. I therefore welcome the fact that Vice-President Gore referred specifically to the success of the British Patent Office as an executive agency in his decision to make the US Patent and Trademark Office the first of a series of agencies to be transformed into a performance-driven, customer-oriented organisation.