§ Mr. ÖpikTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will devise a strategy to deal with the possibility of communication satellite damage and its potential effects on the British economy; and if he will make a statement. [58548]
§ Mr. BattleThe responsibility for the safety of communications satellites lies in the first instance with the owners and operators of the satellites. This responsibility has been carried out admirably by inter-governmental organisations such as Intelsat, Eutelsat and Inmarsat and by the private sector for many years. The wider issue of space debris and its implications for satellite safety is a major concern of spacefaring nations. This is tackled by a number of international organisations as it is not feasible for any one country to develop a space debris strategy in isolation. The British National Space Centre works on this issue with its European Space Agency partners on the Space Debris Advisory Committee and at National Group meetings. The British National Space Centre also plays an active part in the Inter Agency Debris Committee and the United Nations Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Her Majesty's Government remain committed to an international approach to common space problems.