§ 8. Mr. Michael Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will set out his Department's responsibilities for co-ordinating Her Majesty's Government's space policy.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerCo-ordination of the Government's space policy is carried out by an interdepartmental group of officials, and by the space consultative committee, which is a forum of Government, industry and the major users. I chair both of these committees.
§ Mr. MarshallWill my hon. Friend confirm that the co-ordination will result in orders worth many hundreds of millions of pounds and many jobs in regard to the large satellite for the European Space Agency, the defence satellite and so on? Will he also confirm that his Department takes the view that it must continue to press the industrial argument for direct broadcasting by satellite and cable television as being vital in this regard?
§ Mr. BakerThere is an undoubted success story, which has been building up for some years. We have a good, effective and profitable space industry. British Aerospace is making about 10 satellites at the moment. We are engaged in the preliminary stages of making what will be the largest and most powerful satellite of the 1980s called L-Sat.
I hope that in the near future my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will be in a position to make a statement on direct broadcasting by satellite and on cable television.
§ Mr. ButcherWill my hon. Friend use his good offices to liaise with his right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to ensure that decisions on access to the satellite are made quickly so that we do not lose some big opportunities for satellite manufacture for British programme suppliers on a world-wide basis?
§ Mr. BakerI shall draw the comments of my hon. Friend to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. The opportunities for direct broadcasting by satellite and cable television are enormous in terms of investment and job creation.