Lord Stirrup
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Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
The noble Viscount makes an important point. The two priorities of our space policy are economic growth and national security; they are priorities for the whole of government and are central to our approach to space. I co-chair the Space Ministerial Forum with my colleague from the Ministry of Defence, bringing that whole-of-government approach to this important issue. In the speech I made last week on our four priorities, satellite communication was one of them; it is a real priority for the Government.
Lord Stirrup (CB)
My Lords, following on from the previous question, there is a clear and urgent strategic demand for a robust, Europe-based polar satellite constellation. This is an area where the UK should be taking a lead, but at the moment it is not. This requires urgent action and sufficient investment. Will the Government undertake to give this area a real boost?
Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)
I very much agree with the noble and gallant Lord that the UK’s geography can provide particular advantages to the whole of Europe and to NATO. We are very committed to supporting the development of spaceports. Last week, I announced a further £20 million to support the development of spaceports in Scotland, so that is something we are pursuing with vigour.