HC Deb 27 May 2004 vol 421 cc1766-7W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who owns the Neighbourhood Watch logo. [176390]

Ms Blears

The neighbourhood watch logo was designed by the Central Office of Information in 1994 on behalf of the Home Office, and is therefore Crown Copyright.

As a result of complaints from local neighbourhood watches it recently came to light that in early 2003 the National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA) registered the Neighbourhood Watch logo as its own trademark. This was done without consulting the Home Office, the Police or neighbourhood watch generally.

We are taking steps to resolve the situation with NNWA and to restore ownership and control of the Neighbourhood Watch trademarks to the Home Office.