§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to relocate the Patent Office to Cardiff.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI am actively considering the relocation of the Patent Office outside London in order to reduce the very high costs of office accommodation and the other problems of a central London location. My Department has an established and successful contact with Cardiff where the Companies Registration Office is already located. I have therefore asked my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales to give Welsh Office assistance to my officials and the Property Services Agency in finding and considering suitable accommodation in or near Cardiff. I have not yet taken any final decision on the relocation of the office anywhere.