Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the financial support available for sole traders applying for a patent.

The Government provides a range of support to inventors, including sole traders, so they may identify, protect and commercialise their intellectual property through tools found on GOV.UK.

The Government considers the fees charged by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to apply for patents to be accessible and comparatively low compared to other jurisdictions.

The IPO works in partnership with a range of organisations that can help inventors bring ideas to market. In addition, the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, provides a range of support services to help innovators.