Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their golden share in OneWeb enables them to influence policy decisions, or whether they are limited to preventing disposals of shares; what percentage of the share capital in OneWeb they hold; and what financial benefits have been received since their purchase of the company.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government’s golden share in OneWeb provides us with the final say over any future sale of the company and over future access to OneWeb technology by other countries on national security grounds. The Government will own an approximate 17.6% stake in OneWeb when Hanwha System’s investment closes later this year.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 28 July 2021 (HL2253), whether OneWeb is still using the Soyuz launcher at Vostochny in Russia for heavy launches; and what plans they have, if any, to use other facilities instead of Russian ones.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
OneWeb’s launches are currently contracted with Arianespace, a French-headquartered multinational company. Arianespace use Russian launch vehicles, launching from the Far-East in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Barran on 19 July (HL1998) and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 27 October (HL3096), what plans they have to protect consumers under the Mobile Roaming (EU Exit) Regulations 2019; and what discussions, if any, they are having with Ofcom on the imposition of roaming charges on customers travelling to the EU.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Consumers are protected under the Mobile Roaming (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 which is the legislation in force to ensure mobile operators apply a financial limit on mobile data usage while users are abroad. The limit on data usage abroad is £45, which means a consumer cannot spend more than £45 unless they actively consent to continue spending over this cap.
Officials have had recent discussions with representatives of Ofcom to discuss a range of issues, including on the issue of mobile roaming.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 12 October 2021 (HL2827), (1) when was the last occasion that they met with mobile network operators to discuss roaming charges, and (2) what steps, through legislation or otherwise, they are taking to prevent the reintroduction of roaming charges.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ministers and officials have had recent discussions with senior representatives of mobile operators on a range of issues, including on the issue of mobile roaming. The last Ministerial-level meeting with mobile operators was in September 2021.
During negotiations for the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, the UK proposed the continuation of reciprocal agreements between the UK and EU to enable surcharge-free roaming. The EU did not agree. The decision on whether to impose a surcharge on consumers travelling abroad to the EU for their mobile phone usage is one for operators. We advise that consumers check with their operators before travelling.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Baroness Barran on 13 February (HL605) and 19 July (HL1998), what discussions they have had with the mobile network operators Three, EE and Vodafone about the reintroduction of roaming charges for UK customers in the EU; and what steps they will take to prevent the reintroduction of these charges.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ministers and officials have regular discussions with senior representatives of mobile operators on a range of issues, including on the issue of mobile roaming, and HM Government will continue to promote a competitive marketplace that serves the interests of consumers.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what department or organisation (1) is responsible for reporting on, and (2) determines the funding to be made available for, innovation in the space industry in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) oversees Government’s investment in civil space programmes.
The UK Space Agency, a BEIS executive agency, is responsible for developing and delivering programmes to support innovation in the UK space industry. These include:
UK Research and Innovation also invests in multi-disciplinary research and development across the UK, which supports the exploitation of space technologies and pioneering scientific discovery.
The Ministry of Defence oversees Government’s investment in military space innovation.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their agreement with the government of the United States of America regarding space launches from the UK will permit launches by US companies in competition with those based in the UK.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) establishes the principles under which US spaceflight technology (including launch vehicles, equipment, information, spacecraft) may be licensed for export by the US authorities to the UK for use in spaceflight activities.
The TSA was negotiated to deliver maximum possible commercial benefit to the UK, permitting spaceports to utilise both US and non-US operators.
The UK has a lot to offer and a lot to gain from working with the US. With the necessary export licences in place, of which the TSA provides the security framework under which the US export approval process can be made easier and quicker, it will allow US satellite customers to launch on UK launchers therefore providing great opportunities for UK launch providers to increase their access to customers from the US.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Frost on 4 March (HL Deb, col 504GC), when they expect to publish their report on the new national space strategy.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This Government is committed to making the UK a global science and technology superpower and a meaningful actor in space. This will be achieved through the UK’s first comprehensive national space strategy that unleashes growth and innovation in the UK space sector. The strategy is progressing and will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a memorandum of understanding in place between the National Space Council and the United Kingdom Space Agency; and if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.
Answered by Lord True - Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal
The National Space Council is a Cabinet Committee that exists to "consider issues concerning prosperity, diplomacy and national security in, through and from Space, as part of coordinating overall Government policy.”
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whose department sponsors the UK Space Agency as an executive agency, is a standing member of the National Space Council. Membership and Terms of Reference can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-cabinet-committees-system-and-list-of-cabinet-committees.
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their acquisition of a share of OneWeb on 3 July 2020, what loss was made by OneWeb at the time of purchase; how many directors are on the board of OneWeb; how many of those board members they have appointed; who they have appointed to the board of OneWeb; and whether they have a veto in relation to OneWeb’s (1) company policy, or (2) disposal of shares.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
OneWeb has now raised $2.4bn of equity commitments from investors and while the most recent funding rounds are going through standard regulatory approval processes, we expect the company to begin generating revenues and profit in the coming years following the introduction of commercial services.
There are currently eight directors on the board, of which the Government holds three seats. These roles are currently filled by Hugo Robson (BEIS), Tom Cooper (UK Government Investments), and Rob Woodward (Chair of the Met Office). The board will expand in the coming months as recent investments receive regulatory clearance and independent directors are appointed.
The Government benefits from a number of board and shareholder reserved matters including some specific Government-reserved matters related to, among other things, the future sale of the company, future access to OneWeb technology and veto rights on the grounds of national security.