My Lords, this follows on from the discussion that we have been having in relation to the willingness of the Government for the United Kingdom to join, in its own right, the Hague agreement. It refers to the fact that in the consultation process the majority of respondents were in favour of the UK becoming a member of the Hague agreement in its own right. In a sense, that is very good because, as I understand it, the Hague agreement will be a very effective way of progressing the ability of those who originate materials and wish to earn from them to secure that right across territories and, increasingly, across the world, as the agreement is not limited to the United Kingdom or indeed to the European Union. Therefore, it is an important step.
However, as was pointed out by one of the respondents, the UK simply joining the agreement in its own right may not be sufficient to take the trick in this area, as the agreement is very little known and there would be a steep learning curve. The Government agree that there is work to be done here and they have confirmed that the IPO will work with a range of interested parties to publicise these and other changes to the law. Our amendment would put a little weight behind that by giving the Government a six-month window in which to get their show on the road.
As with a previous amendment, I wonder whether the Minister could put some flesh on what the IPO intends to do. I understand from some of the
documentation we have seen that there is regular contact with designers, representatives of the design professions, and legal and other advisers. However, this is something where a bit more hearts-and-minds activity is required, and it would be very helpful if, in responding, the Minister could, as I said, put some flesh on that by explaining what is going to happen on the ground. I beg to move.