My hon. Friend Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Minister for Science and Innovation today made the following statement:

"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, so as 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 2½ 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".