§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the expected level of throughput of patent applications through the United Kingdom Patent Office, in the light of his policy of expediting the transfer of work to the European Patent Office in Munich.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI have no plans to transfer domestic applications to the European Patent Office. For a number of reasons the demand for patent services from the United Kingdom Patent Office is reducing. I am therefore considering what steps might be taken to ensure that the United Kingdom Patent Office can provide a more cost effective service which will thereby benefit United Kingdom users.