---

UK Space Policy

: How could I ever forget the famous by-election? We were both part and parcel of it. The hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) made a doom-and-gloom speech, attacking the Government's science and technology policy. I do not want to make the debate partisan, but the hon. Gentleman has sufficiently provoked me to do so. As somebody who has worked at the sharp end of research most of my adult life, was a practising scientist and engineer in research and specialised in engineering before entering the House, I can tell him that I have never seen a Government devote so much of their resources to tackling science and technology, its problems and the contribution that it makes. UK space policy is part and parcel of that, and it is a great credit to the Government. I speak loudly in praise of the Government. I know that the Minister will do a grand job because he excels in every Department in which he has served. I speak loudly also of Lord Sainsbury of Turville, whom my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton mentioned. Lord Sainsbury is one of the best Science Ministers we have ever had. He is exemplary and outstanding, and his contribution has lifted the spirit of science and science policy in a way I have never known in all my years following science policy. The issue I take with the hon. Member for Ribble Valley concerns the figures I quoted for the increase in investment in research and development, from 1.9 per cent. of GDP to 2.5 per cent. by 2014. Those figures are quoted in ““Science in the New Parliament””, a report by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, which is an independent body. I wanted to put it on record that I did not pluck those figures from the air. That is why I asked the hon. Gentleman to give way earlier.