§ James PurnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her assessment is of British industry's readiness to take advantage of the market for launching micro-satellites; and what action her Department is taking to improve that readiness. [170453]
§ Ms HewittIn December 2003 the Government published clear priorities in its support for the UK space industry, the particular strengths of which lie in the Earth observation, satellite navigation and satellite communications sectors, both in their supply-side and in their fast-growing downstream segments. While the Government are alert to the need to ensure access to space, including for our leading-edge micro-satellite industry, we believe that the current over-supply in the global commercial launches market makes intervention unnecessary.