Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she holds first-preference rights over OneWeb supply chain, manufacturing and launch opportunities that might be covered by UK companies.

On completion of the merger between OneWeb and Eutelsat on 28 September 2023, OneWeb, the UK Government, Eutelsat S.A. and Eutelsat entered into a shareholders’ agreement in respect of OneWeb. Under the OneWeb Shareholder Agreement and the OneWeb Articles, certain matters require Government’s consent, including:

• entering into agreements which may prejudice the OneWeb Group’s ability to enter into agreements with the United States, United Kingdom or Five Eyes governments or which involve the sale of products or services which will be used for defence or national security purposes; and
• changing the location of the executive management or headquarters or centre of operations of the OneWeb Group away from the United Kingdom.

In addition, for so long as the UK Government holds the special share, OneWeb is required to deliver an annual budget and business plan to the UK Government which, under the OneWeb Shareholder Agreement, provides that the OneWeb Group’s centre of operations will be in the UK, that priority for procurement for manufacturing shall be given to businesses in the UK on an arms’ length and commercially competitive basis (based on quality and cost of production), and that provisions will be made for procuring R&D and manufacturing from businesses in the UK on an arms’ length and commercially competitive basis (based on quality and cost of production). OneWeb is also required to procure that the United Kingdom is the preferred location for future launch capabilities subject to such location being commercially competitive.