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UK Space Policy

I declare an interest as the joint chair of the all-party group on space, which has the support of nearly 100 Members, from both Houses and from both sides of this House. I am delighted to see my co-chair, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Mr. Taylor), on the Opposition Front Bench, and to see the considerable number of members of the space group here. They, and you, Mr. Illsley, will know that my interest in space and my support for it in the House is of long standing. I asked for this debate for a number of reasons. First, the relevance of space to all of us is growing. We live in an information age, and much is possible because of satellites. Television, mobile phones, weather forecasting and satellite navigation are just a few things that show that our lives increasingly depend on space technology. Increasingly, space applications play a crucial role behind the scenes, monitoring disasters, assisting in aid efforts and driving forward our understanding of climate change. Secondly, today's debate allows us to pay tribute to the lead role of UK space in that revolution. That role has been possible only because of sustained development and investment in technology over the years. I give the hon. Member for Esher and Walton credit for his work as a Minister in the previous Government to put forward joined-up thinking about space. Such thinking is crucial if the UK is to play a major role in Europe and across the globe and to get its share of space contracts in future. In March and November, the world's biggest and most sophisticated telecommunications satellites were launched. The Inmarsat-4 satellite series was made in Britain by EADS Astrium and operated in Britain by Inmarsat, the world's most profitable mobile satellite communications company. That is a triumph both of British technology and of British business success in using that technology to ensure that profits are made for British business. It is a shining example of technology transfer really working, involving British technology moving through to a British business and on into the global marketplace, all of which is a huge success. When UK space was not making the news, it was often behind the news. UK space is a vital part of the world's disaster monitoring and disaster management infrastructure, and British companies used British space technology this year to make a real difference to relief efforts after the Asian tsunami, the famine in Darfur and, most recently, the earthquake in Pakistan and Indian Kashmir. Our space industry is not just making money; it is saving lives. It is no surprise that the space sector is seen by many countries as a prize asset and a strategic asset. Britain spends £195 million a year on civil space activities. That is equivalent to about a penny per person per day. Sadly, our level of spending as a proportion of gross domestic product is only 16th in the world; we are well behind the Finns and the Belgians. Although we do well, if we are to remain a world leader and a sharp cutter at the edge of this technology, we need more investment.