Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to protect and enhance UK sovereign capability to design and build satellites.

Through the UK Space Strategy, Government is investing £7.8 billion in the UK space sector to 2029/30, including £2.8 billion in satellite communications to strengthen and scale UK satellite manufacturing and capabilities. Programmes including ESA ARTES, Moonlight and C-LEO will support UK firms to develop and commercialise satellite technologies, strengthen supply chains and secure opportunities in future satellite constellations. The Government is also taking a more interventionist approach to the sector, using grants, procurement and other targeted interventions to support strategically important UK space companies and enhance the UK's ability to design, build and operate satellites, building on our successful heritage in this area.