Select Committee on Enterprise and Economic Strategy debate -
Friday, 2 Feb 1996

SECTION 80.

Mr. Rabbitte

I move amendment No. 23:

In page 41, lines 16 to 20, to delete subsection (2) and substitute the following:

"(2) Provision may be made by rules to enable the payment of a single fee in respect to two or more matters.".

In subsection 2 (b) of the present text we allowed for refunds of fees where work on an application had not commenced. The Controller is of the view that the office does not provide for refunds in any of the rules. I can accept the deletion of 2 (b) in the interests of uniformity of approach between patents and trade marks.

Mr. M. McDowell

Does this mean no refunds will now take place?

Mr. Rabbitte

The situation is as it exists at present. It has not been represented to me that there is any difficulty in the operation of that system or that anybody seeks to have it changed or to have any explicit change enshrined in the Bill. The status quo obtains. There may in certain circumstances be refunds.

Mr. M. McDowell

At the moment?

Mr. Rabbitte

Yes.

Mr. M. McDowell

If 2 (b) is removed, will there ever be in future?

Mr. Rabbitte

It will not change.

Mr. M. McDowell

I am very suspicious when I see changes being made which are unnecessary.

Mr. Rabbitte

I am assured that there is no mystery about it. It is purely in the interests of symmetry.

Amendment agreed to.

Section 80, as amended, agreed to.