§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will undertake a feasibility study into relocating the Patent Office to Yorkshire and Humberside.
§ Mr. Robert BanksTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make it his policy to transfer the Patent Office in London to Yorkshire and give consideration to finding a site in Harrogate.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeMy officials together with officials from the Welsh Office and the PSA are currently examining the feasibility of relocating the Patent Office to Cardiff or Newport. These locations already house large DTI establishments and locating the Patent Office close to them would yield significant operational and financial benefits. I, therefore, have no plans to look elsewhere at the moment.