House of Lords written statement – made at on 19 April 2006.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville
Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Trade and Industry) (Science and Innovation)
I have tasked the Patent Office with managing and shaping an intellectual property system which encourages innovation and creativity, balances the needs of rights holders and the public, promotes strong and competitive markets and provides a firm foundation for the knowledge-based economy. During the coming year, the Patent Office will remodel itself and form partnerships through which new services will be delivered, to provide a Patent Office which meets the needs of the 21st century.
I have also set the Patent Office the following targets for 2006–07:
Patents
Issue 90 per cent of patent search reports within four months of request.
Grant 90 per cent of patents within two and a half years of request.
Give good customer service in patent search and examination in 95 per cent of quality assured cases.
Trade-Marks
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.
Make the correct decision on registrability for at least 98.5 per cent of trade-mark applications.
To dispose of all trade-marks inter partes cases within three years, achieving at least 30 per cent within one year and at least 70 per cent in two years.
Designs
To examine 95 per cent of all design applications within three months.
Policy/Awareness
Adoption of our educational resource, THINK Kit version II in UK secondary schools—with not less than 80 per cent penetration.
Efficiency Targets
Reduce total current expenditure on the operations of the trading fund compared with the baseline of the corporate plan 2004–05, in line with the DTI's published efficiency technical note. Cumulative savings target for 2005–06 and 2006–07 is £2.3 million.
Customer Service Standards
Meet our customer service standards as reported 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 chief executive's reply.
The house of Lords is the upper chamber of the Houses of Parliament. It is filled with Lords (I.E. Lords, Dukes, Baron/esses, Earls, Marquis/esses, Viscounts, Count/esses, etc.) The Lords consider proposals from the EU or from the commons. They can then reject a bill, accept it, or make amendments. If a bill is rejected, the commons can send it back to the lords for re-discussion. The Lords cannot stop a bill for longer than one parliamentary session. If a bill is accepted, it is forwarded to the Queen, who will then sign it and make it law. If a bill is amended, the amended bill is sent back to the House of Commons for discussion.
The Lords are not elected; they are appointed. Lords can take a "whip", that is to say, they can choose a party to represent. Currently, most Peers are Conservative.
patents (for inventions), trade marks, protected designs, and copyrights; see http://www.patent.gov.uk
A proposal for new legislation that is debated by Parliament.
