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EU Patent Directorate
Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the EU Commission's position on the Dutch and Italian Governments' challenge to the EU Patent Directorate COM (95) 661. [74493]
Mr. Battle [holding answer 3 March 1999]: The European Commission, as a Community institution, is entitled to intervene in any case before the European Court of Justice. I am not aware that the Commission has made any such intervention in the Netherlands' action before the European Court of Justice, which action seeks to annul Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions. In addition, I am not aware that the European Commission has made any public statement on their position with respect to this case.
The Netherlands have applied to the European Court of Justice seeking to annul the recently adopted Directive 98/44/EC on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions.
As this Community legislation was adopted by the Council and European Parliament, it is these institutions, rather than the Commission who are parties to the action.
Joan Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current practice of the UK Patent Office in awarding patents on (a) transgenic plants and (b) genes and genetic sequences derived from plants; and how many of each have been given in the last 12 months. [74474]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 3 March 1999]: The United Kingdom Patents Act (1977) sets down the requirements which must be met to obtain patent rights and the United Kingdom Patent Office assesses patent applications to investigate whether they comply with these requirements. So, for example, according to the Act, patents may be obtained for all inventions which are new, not obvious and have industrial applicability. These criteria must be met by inventions from all fields of technology, including biotechnology. The Act also excludes certain matter from patent rights. This includes plant varieties as such, and discoveries, such as the mere discovery that a gene exists in nature with no accompanying technical step. Thus, patents may be granted for inventions involving the genetic manipulation of plants. Any decision by the Patent Office can be challenged in the Courts.
Between the beginning of March 1998 and the end of February 1999, the Patents and Designs Journal have recorded the grant of two patents by the United Kingdom Patent Office.
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Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about progress in negotiations between his Department and the National Federation of Retail Newsagents regarding regulations affecting newspaper delivery. [74626]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
My Department has not been in negotiations with the National Federation of Retail Newsagents. I have previously stated that newspaper delivery boys and girls are not entitled to paid annual leave under the Working Time Regulations if they are below minimum school leaving age; anyone aged 16 or over who delivers newspapers is, like any other part-time worker, entitled to paid annual leave but only pro rata according to the hours they normally work.
Mr. Willis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce employment protection for university scientific and medical researchers on short-term contracts. [74700]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The Employment Relations Bill now before Parliament will provide all employees with decent minimum standards in the workplace. It includes a proposal to abolish contractual clauses which allow those working under fixed term contracts lasting a year or more to waive the right to claim unfair dismissal at the end of the term.
Mr. Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to allow oil exploration and development off St. Kilda; and if he will make a statement. [74282]
Mr. Battle:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 2 March 1999, Official Report, columns 693-95.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the organisations which Ministers have met since 1 August 1998 in connection with the Government's policies on women's issues. [73958]
Ms Jowell:
I have been asked to reply.
My noble Friend the Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women and I are responsible for delivering the Government's commitments towards women.
Since 1 August 1998, we have met representatives from the following organisations in connection with women's issues:
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In addition, a nationwide programme of Listening to Women roadshows was launched in Manchester and Glasgow last month. The programme continues with events in London on 8 March; Norwich on 10 March; Birmingham on 26 March; Bristol on 16 April; Newcastle on 19 April; Reading on 21 May; Leeds on 26 May; and Nottingham on 11 June. A large number of women's organisation are attending these events, representing a wide cross-section of interests and views, including, inter alia, organisations representing ethnic minority women, trades unions, and women from a wide range of community organisations. A Minister is attending each event to hear women's views first hand.
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the expenditure incurred by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on (a) the setting up and (b) the operation of websites, indicating the cases in which the expenditure has been above that budgeted; and if he will list for each website (i) the topics covered, (ii) the current average number of hits per month and (iii) the estimated expenditure on each website for each of the next three years. [70966]
Mr. Dewar
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: My Department's website provides information on a wide range of topics, including copies of all Departmental publications.
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The information sought for my Department and its agencies is set out in the tables. Table 1 lists websites the costs of which are met directly by The Scottish Office. Running cost figures include internal staff costs borne by the bodies concerned. Table 2 lists websites maintained by executive agencies of The Scottish Office. Table 3 lists the addresses for each website. It would not be practically
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possible to list exhaustively the wide range of topics dealt with by each. Information relating to non-departmental public bodies in Scotland is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
From 1 July 1999 this will a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
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United Nations Commission on Status of Women
Equal Opportunities Commission
Women's Aid Federation for England
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital
Shevolution
Trades Union Congress
Age Concern
Nursing Standards Nursing Awards
National Council for Women
Women's Nationwide Cancer Control Campaign
United Kingdom Asian Women's Conference
YWCA
Women's National Commission
National Association of Women's Clubs
British Federation of Women Graduates
The Mothers Union
Fawcett Society
National Childbirth Trust
Women's Institute
Townswomen's Guild
Women Acting in Today's Society
Opportunity 2000
Camelot
Gingerbread
Shelter
Comic Relief
Telephone Helplines Association
EPOCH
Rape Crisis
National Family Mediation
Women's Royal Voluntary.
| Department | Set-up costs (£) | Annual operation costs (£) | Over budget | Average number of hits per month | Year | Estimated expenditure over the next three years (5) (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Office | 38,000 | 98,000 | No | 229,000 | 1999-2000 | 95,000 |
| 2000-2001 | 95,000 | |||||
| 2001-2002 | 95,000 | |||||
| Scottish Office--HMI Educational Research Unit | 900 | 300 | No | 36,000 | 1999-2000 | 300 |
| 2000-2001 | 300 | |||||
| 2001-2002 | 300 | |||||
| Scottish Office--Scottish Devolution | 14,000 | 24,000 | No | 45,000 | 1999-2001 | 5,000 |
| Scottish Office--Scottish Health | 80,200 | 90,400 | No | 600,000 | 1999-2000 | 256,000 |
| 2000-2001 | 350,000 | |||||
| 2001-2002 | 350,000 | |||||
| Scottish Office--Sustainable Scotland | 7,000 | -- | No | 4,000 | 1999-2000 | 5,000 |
| 2000-2001 | 5,000 | |||||
| 2001-2002 | 5,000 | |||||
| Scottish Parliament | 60,000 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Notes:
The information given in Table 1 should be qualified as follows:
(5) As electronic publishing and the web is a fast changing environment the estimated expenditure on each of the websites over the next 3 years should be treated with caution.
Some of the operation costs for HMI Educational Research Unit are included within Scottish Office annual operation costs.
The Scottish Devolution website will be wound up in May 1999 to coincide with the Scottish Parliament elections and launch of the Parliament's own website.
The £7,000 set up cost for the Sustainable Scotland website includes year 1 operation costs.
The estimated set-up cost for design and development of the Scottish Parliament website is £60,000. Information on operation costs and average hits per month are not available, as the website is not yet up and running.
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