§ Mr. Batisteasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the functions of the British national space centre; who will head it and from where it will be staffed; what its budget is and from where this will be provided; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PattieThe Government intend to establish a British national space centre in order to improve the development of space technology in the United Kingdom, and to strengthen the co-ordination of space policy. Detailed arrangements are being worked out and will be announced in due course. But it is likely that the technology centre will be located at RAE, Farnborough, where there is already a successful joint technology programme funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Defence.