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Question for Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

UIN 130178, tabled on 15 December 2020

Question

Sarah Olney
Liberal Democrat
Richmond Park
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his policy on the EU Withdrawal Agreement is that it obliges the establishment of a central patent court seat in London under the Unified Patent Court Agreement.

Answer

Amanda Solloway
Conservative
Derby North
Commons

Answered on

11 January 2021

The Government will not be participating in the Unified Patent Court (UPC), nor establishing a seat in London, due to the UPC’s links with the EU Court of Justice. Consequently, on 20 July 2020, the UK withdrew its ratification of the UPC Agreement. Withdrawing ratification clarifies the UK’s status in the Agreement and will help facilitate its orderly entry into force for other States, if they so choose. The locations of the central division of the UPC is a matter for the remaining participating states to decide.

Answered by

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Named day
Named day questions only occur in the House of Commons. The MP tabling the question specifies the date on which they should receive an answer. MPs may not table more than five named day questions on a single day.