§ Dame Joan Vickersasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government accept Recommendation No. 572 on European space policy, which was adopted by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe on 3rd October, 1969; and whether they will instruct their representatives on the European Space Conference and in the Committee of Senior Officials to comply with the proposals contained in paragraph 12 of this recommendation.
§ Mr. Anthony RoyleThere have been a number of developments in European space affairs and in the Intelsat negotiations since Recommendation 572 was adopted.
Her Majesty's Government are reviewing the whole question of participation in European space programmes. These will be discussed at the forthcoming European Space Conference, whose outcome we are unable to anticipate.
The future organisation of the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium is still under discussion, and an Inter-Sessional Working Group of the Plenipotentiary Conference on Definitive Arrangements for the Consortium will meet again in Washington in September.