§ Mr. BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has to review the Government's options under trade agreements to safeguard access by developing countries to essential drugs; [104589]
(2) what plans he has to review Government policy on the trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights agreement and public health in developing countries. [104590]
§ Mr. CabornThe Government are aware of concerns among some developing countries. However, the Government believe that there is nothing in the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement which undermines the ability of developing countries to provide appropriate healthcare. Although the Agreement came into effect in 1995, developing country members have only to implement its provisions from this year and the least developed countries do not have to implement until 2006. The effects, benefits and problems arising from the agreement have therefore yet to emerge.
A review of the implementation of the TRIPS agreement by WTO members will begin in June of this year and the Government will listen carefully to the views of other WTO members during the Review. It is, however, only in the context of a comprehensive new Round of negotiations that significant changes to the TRIPS agreement will be possible and it would be in that context that the Government would carry out a full review of their own policy.
§ Mr. BrowneTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the extension of the deadline for256W complying with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement applicable to developing countries and to countries whose economy is in transition. [104587]
§ Mr. CabornThe Government believe that all signatories to the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement and other WTO agreements should fulfil their commitments in full and on time. They recognise, however, that some developing countries have genuine problems of capacity. In such cases, they would be ready to support alongside its EU partners sympathetic consideration in the relevant WTO Committee of a request for the extension of deadline, if this were accompanied by a work programme aimed at full implementation of the WTO agreement in question.