HC Deb 25 July 1989 vol 157 c583W
Dr. Woodcock

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what payments from public funds have been made in each of the last five years to British Telecom International in respect of its involvement in the Eutelsat organisation and for what purpose.

Mr. Atkins

No such payments have been made to British Telecom International (BTI). The following payments have, however, been made to EUTELSAT by the British National Space Centre in respect of United Kingdom membership of EUTELSAT:

£
1984 513,523
1985 1,389,568
1986 1,843,321
1987 903,063
1988 3,342,463

These payments are a contribution towards the subscription payable to EUTELSAT by BTI, as United Kingdom signatory, in recognition of the costs associated with demonstrating the commercial applications of the ECS series of experimental telecommunications satellites. The payments will cease by the end of 1994.