Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will take steps to increase co-ordination and accountability for intellectual property policy by establishing a cross-industry partnership between the Intellectual Property Office and the Creative Industries Council.

The Creative Industry Council is co-chaired by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Nicola Mendelsohn (Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa, Facebook). As an agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Intellectual Property Office develops intellectual property policy to support innovation and growth, and is already fully engaged in the work of the Creative Industries Council, including the intellectual property workstream.