We now come to the Back-Bench debate on the future of the UK space industry. To move the motion, I call the man in the Irn-Bru mask, Owen Thompson.

Congratulated Owen Thompson on securing the debate, acknowledging the importance of the space industry and its economic significance for Glasgow. Highlighted the University of Glasgow's role in identifying gravitational waves, which aids understanding of the universe and drives technological progress.

The space sector in the UK is experiencing significant growth, with a 60% increase in turnover since 2010. It employs 42,000 people directly and generated £14 billion in turnover in 2018, including £5.5 billion in exports. The industry has over 1,000 companies and supports more than 1 million jobs across the UK. Recent investments include Rolls-Royce and the UK Space Agency joining forces on nuclear power technologies for space exploration, and a £500 million investment in a low-earth-orbit satellite communication system.

The project to build a vertical launch site for the UK mainland in Sutherland, within Jamie Stone's constituency, has received significant local support. The area is well-suited due to its weather conditions, rail links, road networks, and future airport facilities. This initiative aims to halt depopulation in the highlands by offering new employment opportunities and utilising skills from decommissioned nuclear sites like Dounreay.

The UK Space Agency has seen significant growth, but only 10% of the space industry is UK-owned. Government spending on space should be doubled to £1 billion annually, with a national procurement fund worth £250 million and a space innovation fund worth £150 million to support future projects such as horizontal launches in Newquay.

The UK's space industry has seen substantial growth since 2010, with opportunities for satellite technology to contribute to environmental and security efforts globally. The UK needs a clear strategy on its role in global navigation systems post-Galileo project exit and should work closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on future supply chains and autonomous vehicle aims.

I declare at the outset: I am a member and officer of the all-party parliamentary group on space, like some other Members who have spoken. One highlight of my political career was the opportunity to meet Major Tim Peake—indeed, I have met him twice—shortly after which I was able to get his biography, which is one of the best reads about the impact that space can have on an individual’s life. Indeed, I believe that that book should be on the national reading curriculum for schools, because it really encourages young people to gain knowledge of space and understand how space can contribute in so many different ways to the nation’s wellbeing. Major Tim Peake is an inspirational character and we are very fortunate, as a nation, to have him. I also wish to mention Airbus’s role. It employs more people in the UK space programme than the US aerospace and prime defence companies combined. The United Kingdom is actually at the cutting edge of a lot to do with space but probably does not blow its own trumpet sufficiently well to promote what it does. Northern Ireland plays its part in the space sector. Its strategy supports the growth of the UK space sector by exploiting key upstream resources and developing world-class space downstream capabilities. Northern Ireland’s regional aerospace cluster contributes £1.3 billion to the overall UK aerospace industry, making it Europe’s eighth largest aerospace region in revenue terms, and its innovative and skilled companies are involved in every major aircraft programme globally. Not enough is said about how space is a distinct opportunity for UK leadership on the world stage.

May I thank the hon. Member for Midlothian (Owen Thompson) for securing this debate? It is important for many reasons, not least because the space sector provides an opportunity for significant post-covid growth, and indeed growth that features high levels of productivity. A report by the London School of Economics showed that small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector are growing by more than 30% per annum. The UK is already a world leader in space science, in producing small satellites, and utilising space data; and as part of the Government’s strategy of achieving 10% of the global space market share by 2030, it has been decided that we also need to focus on space launch services. We have the suppliers and the customers; now we need the infrastructure, the equipment and the services to bring them together in the launch sector. A company in my constituency, Raptor Aerospace, is developing the next generation of suborbital launch vehicles. It will grow faster still in 2021. The company has developed a unique hybrid rocket engine facility in the east of England, and the company’s trajectory will see the launch of a development rocket from a UK spaceport later this year, with a commercial space-capable rocket the following year.

It is a pleasure to take part in today’s debate. If someone had told the eight-year-old me who was allowed to get up in the middle of the night to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon that I would one day be discussing the prospect of a spaceport in Scotland—of the UK grabbing 10% of the global space market by the end of the decade—would I have believed them? The biggest thing that space exploration has given us is instilling the belief in an entire generation that anything is possible. While I am immensely proud of what is being achieved in Edinburgh, a spaceport in Scotland would be invaluable to the continued growth of the industry. It can create revenue, reverse economic decline, and give young people opportunities. We should do everything we can to ensure that girls and young women are encouraged to be part of it from the beginning.

I am hugely proud to have Harwell Campus in my constituency for all sorts of reasons, but one of them is its space cluster. It has 105 organisations working on space, which is the largest number of organisations within walking distance of each other anywhere in the world. We have a whole range of organisations, from industry and academia to Government, working together, such as RAL Space—which is building the national satellite test facility that will enable companies to build the next generation of spacecraft and test them in the UK—and Astroscale, which works on sweeping the estimated 170 million items of space debris so that we can have a more sustainable space. There are four important things: the importance of our small and medium enterprises; the importance of the commitment from Government; inspiring the next generation to want to work in space; ambition.

Welcomes the Government's ambition for the UK to have 10% of the global space industry by 2030. Emphasises that having a launch capability in the UK is crucial, especially with Spaceport Cornwall based at Newquay airport which will be one of the world’s first horizontal launch sites.

Contributes to the debate by discussing the skill levels and potential of workers in Northern Ireland, suggesting that connecting engineering firms across the UK can help achieve the goal of doubling the UK share of the global industry.

Reflects on his time as science Minister and Business Secretary during which he was convinced about the future potential of the UK space sector. Stresses the importance of a forward-looking industrial strategy to capitalize on this opportunity.

The space sector is fundamental to national power, military presence, technology leadership, and economic resilience. It requires a cohesive strategy led by an empowered secretariat capable of delivering across Government Departments.

Lack of coordination between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Ministry of Defence hinders the UK's space industry growth. Complex regulations and high insurance costs deter companies from operating in or relocating to the UK. A credible long-term strategy and simplified regulatory environment are needed.

The British space programme has a rich history spanning nearly seven decades, with significant contributions to international collaboration and research. The UK's space industry is currently valued at over £14.8 billion annually, growing five times faster than the wider economy since 1999. It supports around 1,500 suppliers across all regions of the UK. However, concerns arise from recent government decisions such as taking control of strategy and policy away from the UK Space Agency, which may hinder future growth. The sector requires a clear long-term strategy to unlock its full potential, including strategies for investment, skills development, industry support, and sovereign satellite capabilities.

Congratulates the hon. Member for Midlothian on securing this debate, acknowledges the richness of contributions from other Members such as Chris Skidmore, Ian Paisley, Christine Jardine, and Greg Clark, emphasising the importance of seizing opportunities in space industry; highlights British satellites capturing high-resolution images, the upcoming mission to Mercury, satellites supporting families, communities, businesses, and the NHS during the pandemic; mentions Government’s partnership with the UK's space sector through new National Space Council and comprehensive space strategy; discusses free trade agreement with EU worth £668 billion and annual investment in ESA worth £374 million; outlines major national programmes to build space capabilities such as positioning, navigation and timing programme, national space innovation programme, OneWeb satellite communication constellation, and grants for building UK spaceports; aims to make the UK a global hub for space innovation.

Intervenes by highlighting the importance of inspiring children about space and education in order to take our industry through to the next generation; mentions receiving an enthusiastic voicemail from his son explaining a new fact he learned about a comet.