HC Deb 25 July 1991 vol 195 cc829-30W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total expenditure and in which financial years, his Department supported expenditure on a space horizontal take-off and landing-vehicle; what recent contracts his Department has had with the European Space Agency and the Soviet Ministry of Aviation Industry on this matter; and whether exports of know-how and equipment relating to such vehicles require export licences, or clearance through Cocom.

Mr. Leigh

The DTI provided financial support through the British National Space Centre, towards proof-of-concept studies for the original HOTOL (horizontal take-off and landing) vehicle. The work was undertaken in the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88. The DTI contribution amounted to £2.4 million out of total costs of some £4 million.

British Aerospace is currently undertaking a feasibility study with the Soviet Ministry of Aviation Industry for an air-launched interim version of HOTOL. No United Kingdom Government funding is involved. But BNSC was able to help with a presentation on the first results of this study given by British Aerospace to the European Space Agency on 21 June. The question of an export licence and Cocom review could be addressed only once a specific proposal was available.

Outturn 1989–90 Outturn 1990–91 Forecast 1991–92
General Industrial
Collaborative
Projects
Number of Projects 28 15 20
Participants 207 38 50
SMEs 40 15 25
Total Project costs (£m) 26 (30.0)2 9.3 15

Notes:

The forecasts in this Table are based on an interim survey and are therefore provisional. A full survey will be undertaken in advance of the next Trade and Industry Expenditure Plans report.

1 Includes some LINK projects which have received funding from both the Science and Engineering Research Council and DTI.

2 The figures in brackets represent outturn in 1989–90 uprated to 1991–92 prices using the GDP deflators of 7.75 per cent for 1990–91 and 7 per cent for 1991–92, as set out in Table 2.1 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1991–92 (House of Commons No. 300).