Written question asked by Jimmy Wray (Labour) on Tuesday, 29 January 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 February 2002. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Monday, 4 February 2002 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what recent meetings she has had with European colleagues on space research and exploration.

Answer: Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent meetings she has had with European colleagues on space research and exploration. [32525] Ms Hewitt: In recent months I have not attended any meetings with European colleagues at which space research and exploration was specifically discussed. However, my noble Friend the Minister for Science and Innovation attended the Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency on 14-15 November 2001, which the United Kingdom hosted in Edinburgh. At this meeting it was agreed the UK would subscribe to the study phase of a potential European programme for exploration of the solar system, the Aurora programme. The Minister also attended the October Research Council which discussed the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative, and the December Research Council where some conclusions on space policy were adopted. More recently he attended a bilateral with the Spanish Science Minister at which the subject of the European global satellite navigation system (Galileo) was raised.

Secondary information