§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Trade when he last carried out an overall review of the need for retaining the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites; whether he considered alternative privately funded sources of advice; and what conclusions he reached.
§ Mr. SproatI shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Philip Hollandasked the Secretary of State for Trade when he last carried out an overall review of the need to retain unchanged the Standing Advisory Committee on Patents and the Standing Advisory Committee on Trade Marks; whether he considered alternative ad hoc or privately funded sources of advice; and what conclusions he reached.
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§ Mr. EyreThe standing advisory committees on patents and trade marks are reviewed annually, the last review having been completed in March of this year. The standing advisory committees provide established points of contact with the interested organisations and therefore offer a quick and effective means of obtaining a balanced view from users and practitioners. Ad hoc consultation would not be more economic as the members of the standing advisory committees receive no remuneration for their services. I am satisfied with the present arrangements.