§ Mr. Symondsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now able to give particulars of the composition of the Governing Body of the National Seed Development Organisation Limited.
§ Mr. PeartYes. Together with the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland, I have set up the National Seed Development Organisation Limited as a company to exploit, in the United Kingdom and abroad, plant varieties bred at plant breeding stations supported by public funds. The Organisation will be responsible for securing the grant of plant breeders' rights under the Plant Varieties and Seeds Act, 1964 and for collecting royalties from the users of protected varieties. The profits of 275W the Organisation, which is financed initially by an Exchequer loan, will accrue to the Exchequer.
Mr. Douglas Collins has been appointed Chairman of the Governing Body of the Organisation and the other members are Mr. W. H. M. Gill, Mr. J. Keeling, Sir David Lowe, Professor James Morrison, Mr. J. F. Shearer, Mr. H. Stroude, and Professor Watkin Williams.