§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many patents are held by DERA; and what value his Department places on DERA's patent portfolio. [65631]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 January 1999]: DERA currently has patents or patent applications on approximately 1,050 inventions, some of which are held jointly with another party. Most are held in a number of countries, giving a total of approximately 3,300 granted patents and 2,400 pending applications. Work is in hand in MOD, as part of the DERA PPP options study, to ensure that the proposed solution protects the value of these to MOD in the long term.
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§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to make a decision about the future of DERA. [65630]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 January 1999]: My noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Gilbert, expects initial advice from a team studying the options around the end of March. Following further internal discussions and consultation with colleagues, we would hope to make a decision later this year.
§ Mr. Keith SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage golden share his Department will maintain in the reorganised DERA. [65632]
§ Mr. Spellar[holding answer 14 January 1999]: Following advice from the MOD team studying the options, we hope to make a decision about the future of DERA later this year. However, until then, and until options have been fully explored, it is impossible to predict what arrangements will be necessary.