§ Mr. Kennedyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to provide extensions to the existing conditions of patent life for the research and development of drugs.
§ Mr. ButcherThe question of drug patent life is not only a matter of our domestic law; it involves consideration of the United Kingdom's obligations under the European patent convention. I intend to seek the opinion of the Government's standing advisory committee on patents and to this end have asked the pharmaceutical industry to prepare a paper setting out its case.