HC Deb 15 February 1995 vol 254 cc657-8W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to involve United Kingdom manufacturers of navigation systems in the European Space Agency programme now being set up in co-operation with Eurocontrol and the European Commission to propose a European global navigation satellite system.

Mr. Ian Taylor

After consultation with officials from the Department of Trade and Industry and the European Space Agency, the Department of Transport has agreed to provide a Government financial contribution to the proposed European collaborative global navigation satellite system.

This Government funding will allow industry to play an active role in the proposed programme. I am also pleased to report that industry has agreed to provide support to the programme from its own resources.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss the operational and industrial importance to the United Kingdom of involvement in the steps being taken by Eurocontrol, the European Commission and the European Space Agency to establish a European global navigation satellite system.

Mr. Ian Taylor

Officials of the two Departments have been working closely for a number of months on UK participation in the European global navigation satellite system. I hope to meet my noble Friend Viscount Goschen, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, to discuss satellite navigation issues in the near future.