§ Mr. Douglas-Mannasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many patents are registered in the name of his Department; in how many cases public access to the information contained in the patent file is restricted; and what further steps he proposes to restrict access to information at the Patent Office which might be valuable to terrorists.
§ Mr. MulleyAs at 3rd November there were approximately 570 United Kingdom patents in force in the name of the Secretary of State for Defence or his predecessors; there are approximately 100 patent applications in the name of the Secretary of State for Defence or his predecessors in respect of which orders to prohibit publication have been placed; the question of access to information at the Patent Office is one for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade.