§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the British National Space Centre's Best Practice in the Space Industry Club is self financing; how many United Kingdom companies are committed to the Club; and if she will make a statement. [91655]
§ Ms HewittThe Space Industry Best Practice Club is working towards achieving self-sufficiency. Including associates, it now has 60 members.
I welcome the activities of the Club. It was set up under a joint commitment by the British National Space Centre and the United Kingdom Industrial Space Committee, and was launched by my hon. Friend the Minister for Science in 1999. Since then, it has worked hard to improve the competitiveness of British companies working in the space sector and has developed relationships with other sectors and within the European Space Agency.