§ Dr. CableTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals the Government have for supporting and promoting British inventors. [26708]
§ Mr. BattleMy Department has awarded the Institute of Patentees and Inventors (IPI) a grant of £30,000 for the period 1996/97–1998/99 to help them to maintain and improve the services which they provide. The Government have also introduced legislation to establish the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA). Funded by an endowment of £200 million from the National Lottery, NESTA will help talented individuals in the fields of science, technology and the arts to achieve their full potential and help to turn inventions or ideas into products or services. The Department' s expenditure programmes which support innovation in business are being reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.