§ Captain BOWYERasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that a man who has recently invented a new method for the rear lighting of vehicles submitted his patent specification, No. 101,646, first to the Home Office and afterwards to the Ministry of Transport, asking to be informed whether, if he put this invention on the market, it would be infringing the Lighting Laws and Regulations; that this man can get no answer to this question, and in consequence does not know whether he dare-put the invention on the market or not; and what steps this man should take to get an answer to his question and to what authority he should apply in order to safeguard himself from pecuniary loss?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am informed that the hon. Member has been in communication with the Home Office and with the Ministry of Transport on behalf of the inventor referred to, and that the specifications were returned to him on the 22nd April, with an intimation that the Departmental Committee which deals with inventions was unable to recommend 1717W the adoption of the patent. The question of infringing the Lighting Laws and Regulations is a matter for the police and the Courts.