: Is the hon. Gentleman saying that he does not believe the figures that POST has produced?

: Is the hon. Gentleman saying that he does not believe the figures that POST has produced?

I am grateful to my co-chairman on the all-party group on space, the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner), for securing this debate and to colleagues on both sides for contributing so knowledgeably. This important debate is about an important subject, just ahead of the upcoming European Space Agency ministerial...

I am grateful to my co-chairman on the all-party group on space, the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner), for securing this debate and to colleagues on both sides for contributing so knowledgeably. This important debate is about an important subject, just ahead of the upcoming European Space Agency ministerial...

: That intervention was pretty infantile, if I may say so. I was saying that the space budget during my period as Minister compares very favourably. There is no doubt that the overall budget for science and technology has gone up under this Government, as I have said many times...

: That intervention was pretty infantile, if I may say so. I was saying that the space budget during my period as Minister compares very favourably. There is no doubt that the overall budget for science and technology has gone up under this Government, as I have said many times...

: We have had an extremely well-informed debate. I, too, congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on securing it. Indeed, all the contributions have been excellent. I felt quite humbled in being unable to match from my earlier career the experience and interest of some of...

: We have had an extremely well-informed debate. I, too, congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on securing it. Indeed, all the contributions have been excellent. I felt quite humbled in being unable to match from my earlier career the experience and interest of some of...

: Before the Minister leaves the international scene, will he comment on what is happening with the space race? First, it is being led by the United States, which is currently pursuing a policy that would give it territorial rights in space. Secondly, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton...

: Before the Minister leaves the international scene, will he comment on what is happening with the space race? First, it is being led by the United States, which is currently pursuing a policy that would give it territorial rights in space. Secondly, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton...

I apologise for being late for the debate; I was attending a seminar on the global science and innovation network by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on securing the debate. Having tried to secure debates of this kind in...

I apologise for being late for the debate; I was attending a seminar on the global science and innovation network by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on securing the debate. Having tried to secure debates of this kind in...

: The hon. Gentleman takes the words out of my mouth. I am certainly not laying the blame at the door of Lord Sainsbury, who is a space enthusiast, as far as I know. Indeed, I say that while sitting next to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and...

: The hon. Gentleman takes the words out of my mouth. I am certainly not laying the blame at the door of Lord Sainsbury, who is a space enthusiast, as far as I know. Indeed, I say that while sitting next to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and...

: Does the hon. Lady agree that we are in danger of missing a golden opportunity, because Departments are not talking to each other? The Department of Trade and Industry has put in an awful lot of work and money. Lord Sainsbury has been a tremendous champion of space over...

: Does the hon. Lady agree that we are in danger of missing a golden opportunity, because Departments are not talking to each other? The Department of Trade and Industry has put in an awful lot of work and money. Lord Sainsbury has been a tremendous champion of space over...

I do not intend to keep the Chamber for long. I am delighted that the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) secured this debate, for which several of us applied. It is important that we have this brief debate because it is a considerable time since we have had a...

I do not intend to keep the Chamber for long. I am delighted that the hon. Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) secured this debate, for which several of us applied. It is important that we have this brief debate because it is a considerable time since we have had a...

: I wonder why the hon. Gentleman thinks that the French and the Germans spend so much more than we do. Does he not think that we are missing a trick, that it is an investment and that it would benefit us if we spent more?

: I wonder why the hon. Gentleman thinks that the French and the Germans spend so much more than we do. Does he not think that we are missing a trick, that it is an investment and that it would benefit us if we spent more?

: I agree with the hon. Gentleman, but we should remember the base from which we started, and where we were under his Government. That is the difference. Under his Government, science went downwards. I praise the former Minister, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Mr. Taylor), because he...

: I agree with the hon. Gentleman, but we should remember the base from which we started, and where we were under his Government. That is the difference. Under his Government, science went downwards. I praise the former Minister, the hon. Member for Esher and Walton (Mr. Taylor), because he...

: Ribble Valley.

: Ribble Valley.

: 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...

: 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...

: I hesitate to say that I agree with the hon. Lady, but it is good that we have cross-party consensus on driving space industry forward because we all realise its importance. One difficulty is that different Departments contribute, and in this debate we can impress on the Minister the...

: I hesitate to say that I agree with the hon. Lady, but it is good that we have cross-party consensus on driving space industry forward because we all realise its importance. One difficulty is that different Departments contribute, and in this debate we can impress on the Minister the...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

: No. We want to focus attention on the fact that the European Space Agency ministerial meeting is coming up.

: No. We want to focus attention on the fact that the European Space Agency ministerial meeting is coming up.

: No. The hon. Gentleman's party has been in power for eight years. I do not want to make this debate party political. His hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton led on the figures about how much DEFRA is spending and the total budget compared with other countries. We have...

: No. The hon. Gentleman's party has been in power for eight years. I do not want to make this debate party political. His hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton led on the figures about how much DEFRA is spending and the total budget compared with other countries. We have...

: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

: The hon. Lady is making an excellent speech and I agree with every word that she utters, so I will call her my hon. Friend. Does she agree that we are not talking big bucks in terms of Government spending? We are talking about the difference between a commitment...

: The hon. Lady is making an excellent speech and I agree with every word that she utters, so I will call her my hon. Friend. Does she agree that we are not talking big bucks in terms of Government spending? We are talking about the difference between a commitment...

: No, I will not give way. As far as space technology is concerned, we have advanced in the past eight years, but we ought to do much more. I shall finish, as I want other Members to have the opportunity to speak. I am thinking about the excitement that...

: No, I will not give way. As far as space technology is concerned, we have advanced in the past eight years, but we ought to do much more. I shall finish, as I want other Members to have the opportunity to speak. I am thinking about the excitement that...