§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Department for International Development concerning the establishment of a commission to investigate intellectual property rights. [151675]
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§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 1 March 2001]: The establishment of the new Commission for Intellectual Property Rights was discussed in contacts between the Department for International Development and the Department of Trade and Industry and the Patent Office, as well as a number of other Departments, in the context of the preparation of the White Paper "Eliminating World Poverty: Making Globalisation Work for the Poor", and officials will continue to work together.