HL Deb 16 March 2004 vol 659 cc20-2WS
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)

I have tasked the Patent Office with broadening its activities to support the delivery of the Government's innovation strategy. During the coming year, the Patent Office will develop these new activities and form partnerships through which new services will be delivered.

I have also set the Patent Office the following targets for 2004–05:

Patents

  1. 1. To be issuing 90 per cent of search reports within five months of request by the end of the year.
  2. 2. Grant 90 per cent of patents within three years of request.

Designs

  1. 3. Register 90 per cent of correctly filed design applications, to which no substantive objections have been raised, within three months of the date of application.

Trade Marks

  1. 4. Register 90 per cent of processed trade mark class applications, to which no substantive objections are raised or oppositions filed within eight months of application.
  2. 5. Reduce to an average of 26 weeks the time taken to issue a decision in trade mark inter partes cases once the case is ready.
  3. 6. Ensure that the proportion of bad acceptances published in the Trade Marks Journal is less than 1 per cent.

Policy

  1. 7. Establish a baseline and metrics for IP awareness and a target for 2005–06.

Efficiency Targets

  1. 8. Increase output in relation to current expenditure by an average of at least 2 per cent per annum over a rolling three-year period.

In addition to these key targets:

Customer Service Standards

Meet our customer service standards as shown in the annual report and on our website at www.patent.gov.uk

Finance

Pay 100 per cent of bills within 30 days of receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice, whichever is the later

Questions delegated to the Chief Executive

Reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated for the chief executive's reply.