Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has made an assessment of the impact of pre-grant oppositions in India on access to medicine.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK’s approach to intellectual property (IP) with all partners is to strike a balance between rewarding research and innovation, which can benefit all countries, whilst reflecting wider public interests such as ensuring access to medicines.
We do not comment on specifics of live negotiations.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March to Question 158878 on Youth Mobility Scheme, when she plans for the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement to come into force.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are working with the Australian Government to ratify the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement at the earliest opportunity so that businesses can reap the benefits. We expect to be able to bring the agreement into force in Spring 2023.
The commitments in the Youth Mobility Scheme were taken in a separate side letter which specifies that the changes will need to be implemented within two years of entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement. UK and Australian officials are working together to bring these changes into effect as soon as operationally possible.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Royal Mail Customer Service point closures on (a) that organisation meeting its Universal Service Obligation and (b) people with protected characteristics; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Decisions on the closure of customer service points are an operational matter for Royal Mail, provided they are consistent with Ofcom’s regulatory obligation on Royal Mail to provide access points for the universal service.
While the Government has no role in Royal Mail’s operational decisions, I understand that Royal Mail has completed the first stage of its review of customer service points and decided to maintain the current estate.