§ Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made towards the establishment of the Patent Office as an executive agency.
§ Mr. RidleyI am today establishing the Patent Office as an executive agency. The Patent Office is the fifth executive agency to be established within the DTI.
Establishing the Patent Office as an executive agency will assist the Patent Office further to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of its services. Accordingly, I have set the Patent Office the following productivity and quality of service targets for the next five years:
- to increase the productivity of patent examination by an average of at least 1.5 per cent. a year;
- to issue at least 90 per cent. of patent search reports within 12 weeks;
- to increase the productivity of trade mark examination by an average of at least 3 per cent. a year;
- to register at least 90 per cent. of unopposed trade mark applications within 24 months of receipt; and
- to reduce the cost of common services within the Patent Office by at least 20 per cent. in real terms.
Taken together these targets represent a requirement to improve efficiency by an average of more than 4 per cent. a year.
In addition, I expect the relocation of the Patent Office to Newport, Gwent, which is due to be completed in September 1991, to produce substantial savings in the running costs of the Patent Office.