§ Mr. TOWNENDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, with a view to the better protection of the rights of inventors who may wish to submit inventions to Government Departments, he will set up an inquiry into the facilities for obtaining patents subject to the Official Secrets Act?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, Sir. Any inventor who so desires may file an application for a patent to protect his invention, before submitting it to a Government Department. A paragraph dealing with this matter appears in the official publication of "Instructions to Applicants for Patents," a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member.