HC Deb 16 February 1966 vol 724 cc1293-5
5. Mr. Marten

asked the Minister of Aviation when he will announce a definite British national space programme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mulley

I am responsible only for certain aspects of the space programme. This is at present under review and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

Mr. Marten

Does not the Minister realise that the Government's complete lack of a space programme is doing enormous damage to this highly technological advance? Can he tell the House when there is any chance of getting a space programme? The Minister is to go to the E.L.D.O. meeting at the end of March. Will he state whether it is the Government's wish and hope that they should remain in E.L.D.O.?

Mr. Mulley

On the second point, there have been extensions of the timetable and technical difficulties in E.L.D.O. which have considerably increased the cost of the programme. It is for these reasons that it was desired, I think by many members of E.L.D.O., that there should be a Ministerial review at the end of March. On the question of a national space programme, the Black Arrow consideration is obviously part of that, but it is also a matter of relating our national and European commitments in this field.

Sir J. Eden

Would not the Minister agree that the definition of the British national space programme is made the more difficult so long as there is not a single Minister of the Crown responsible for it? What discussions are now taking place between himself and his right hon. Friends to determine who shall define the British national space programme?

Mr. Mulley

This Government have followed the practice of the previous Government in dividing responsibility for space matters. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science is responsible for the E.S.R.O. part of the programme. I am responsible for E.L.D.O. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Technology is also involved. In any complicated field of this character there will inevitably be across-the-board responsibilities between Ministers.

Captain W. Elliot

Will the Minister consider as a first step approaching the Americans with a view to attaching British astronauts to the American space-training unit? Would he not agree that there are many Britons of courage and enterprise who would welcome this and that it would be beneficial to the possible future space programme of our own and to Anglo-American relations?

Mr. Mulley

That is an interesting suggestion, but we should have to wait to see whether the United States had the same interest in it as the hon. and gallant Gentleman.

Mr. Lubbock

In view of the enormous cost of this space programme, would it not be better to proceed by way of cooperation with our European allies than to embark on a separate British space programme? Will the Minister, therefore, do his best to ensure that the E.L.D.O. programme is continued and strengthened?

Mr. Mulley

This is exactly what I had in mind when, in answer to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Marten), I said that it was necessary to relate our national and our European efforts. We do want to see a viable European programme, but it is a matter for further discussion whether the existing E.L.D.O. programmes are the best ways of achieving this.

Mr. Hugh Jenkins

Are not our resources sufficiently strained by what we are doing on this world without travelling outside it, and are we not sufficiently attached to the Americans on this world without attaching them to ourselves outside it?

Mr. Mulley

I am not sure whether my hon. Friend is asking a rhetorical question. I rather think he is.