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UK Space Policy

: It is embarrassing. I am looking at the tables showing what other countries are doing. We know about China. It has growth rates of about 8 per cent and it is definitely growing its space programme. The same is the case in Russia and in India, which also has growth rates of about 8 per cent. and is spending $500 million. We are spending almost half the money that India is spending on space activities. I am worried that we will lose all the skills involved and that Britain will be seen as a country that is not interested in or committed to the space programme. When other collaborations take place in the future, Britain will not even be considered. There is also great worry about whether skills can be retained. There are tremendous skills in this country. For example, I visited Astrium, which builds satellites. We should be proud of the absolutely fantastic skills in that company. The hon. Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale) referred to debris in space. A great deal of attention must be paid to how it can be managed, and since the pollution of space is clearly in no one's interest, that is something in which this country could be involved.