Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of protections and safeguards for the transfer of intellectual property rights in a digital setting.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) follows robust, proportionate processes to securely process 20K annual requests to record the transfer of ownership of IP rights in the register. These processes are reviewed regularly to reflect changing risk threats. The IPO is mid-way through a major transformation programme which will further improve validation processes by introducing an authenticated user account for all transactions. The recent consultation on the UK Designs system included proposals to extend the IPO’s power to resolve disputes over ownership of patents and trade marks to registered designs where that power is currently reserved for the courts.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure safeguards surrounding the transfer of registered intellectual property are enforced in a digital setting.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) follows robust, proportionate processes to securely process 20K annual requests to record the transfer of ownership of IP rights in the register. These processes are reviewed regularly to reflect changing risk threats. The IPO is mid-way through a major transformation programme which will further improve validation processes by introducing an authenticated user account for all transactions. The recent consultation on the UK Designs system included proposals to extend the IPO’s power to resolve disputes over ownership of patents and trade marks to registered designs where that power is currently reserved for the courts.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department are taking to support the Intellectual Property Office to improve safeguarding regarding the transfer of registered intellectual property via authenticators.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) follows robust, proportionate processes to securely process 20K annual requests to record the transfer of ownership of IP rights in the register. These processes are reviewed regularly to reflect changing risk threats. The IPO is mid-way through a major transformation programme which will further improve validation processes by introducing an authenticated user account for all transactions. The recent consultation on the UK Designs system included proposals to extend the IPO’s power to resolve disputes over ownership of patents and trade marks to registered designs where that power is currently reserved for the courts.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen protections available to registered owners, in regards to registered intellectual property, who say that a transfer was made without their authority.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) follows robust, proportionate processes to securely process 20K annual requests to record the transfer of ownership of IP rights in the register. These processes are reviewed regularly to reflect changing risk threats. The IPO is mid-way through a major transformation programme which will further improve validation processes by introducing an authenticated user account for all transactions. The recent consultation on the UK Designs system included proposals to extend the IPO’s power to resolve disputes over ownership of patents and trade marks to registered designs where that power is currently reserved for the courts.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of protections and safeguards for the transfer of intellectual property rights in a digital setting.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) follows robust, proportionate processes to securely process 20K annual requests to record the transfer of ownership of IP rights in the register. These processes are reviewed regularly to reflect changing risk threats. The IPO is mid-way through a major transformation programme which will further improve validation processes by introducing an authenticated user account for all transactions. The recent consultation on the UK Designs system included proposals to extend the IPO’s power to resolve disputes over ownership of patents and trade marks to registered designs where that power is currently reserved for the courts.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department plans to review the powers and statutory obligations of the Intellectual Property Office.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) follows robust, proportionate processes to securely process 20K annual requests to record the transfer of ownership of IP rights in the register. These processes are reviewed regularly to reflect changing risk threats. The IPO is mid-way through a major transformation programme which will further improve validation processes by introducing an authenticated user account for all transactions. The recent consultation on the UK Designs system included proposals to extend the IPO’s power to resolve disputes over ownership of patents and trade marks to registered designs where that power is currently reserved for the courts.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how many MP surgeries have Ministers in his Department had with MPs (a) in the period July 2024 to January 2025 and (b) since January 2025.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Ministers meet regularly with Members of Parliament to discuss a wide range of issues relating to their departmental responsibilities and matters of interest to constituents. Information on individual meetings is not held centrally.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help prevent pub closures in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government recognises the pressures facing pubs and the important role they play in communities across the UK. That is why we have introduced targeted support, including a 15% reduction in business rates bills for pubs from April 2026, followed by a two-year real-terms freeze, alongside permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties. We have also increased the Hospitality Support Fund to £10 million over three years to help pubs diversify and remain financially sustainable.
In addition, the Great British Summer Savings scheme is reducing VAT from 20% to 5% on selected hospitality, leisure and visitor economy activities between 25 June and 1 September 2026, helping to drive customer demand and support hospitality businesses during the busy summer period.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the creation of jobs for young people in East Grinstead and Uckfield.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DBT is supporting the creation of well-paid jobs in East Grimsby by supporting businesses to start, scale, export and attract investment, leading to higher-skilled roles.
The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority utilising new devolved funding helps local businesses invest in growth and infrastructure, exploiting major assets such as the Humber Freeport and offshore wind cluster.
By developing high-value sectors, strengthening skills and supporting local regeneration, it ensures higher productivity and better-paid employment for residents.
The Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub offers SMEs specialist advice on scaling up, accessing new markets and alternative funding options through the British Business Bank.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what consideration has there been to provide BS 30480 Suicide and the Workplace standard available to businesses in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
BS 30480 Suicide and the Workplace is a voluntary British Standard published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), the UK's National Standards Body. The standard is available as a free download through BSI's website. As with other voluntary British Standards, decisions on whether and how to adopt the standard are a matter for individual organisations.