Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what contracts are held by (1) government departments, and (2) arm's-length bodies, with Starlink; and what is the value and duration of each contract.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and its Arms Lengths Body’s (ALBs) including the United Kingdom Space Agency (UKSA) hold no contracts directly with Starlink, aside from the Very Hard to Reach Alpha trials which are due to close in the coming quarter. These are rolling monthly contracts with Starlink Internet Services, and the currently anticipated expenditure in March 2025 is £1,035.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) alongside the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have reported no contracts with Starlink. The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) does not hold information on which departments have used Starlink.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of radio waves from satellites on astronomical observation, and what steps they are taking to mitigate any interference.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government draws on the international studies that indicate the increasing number of communications satellites, particularly in Low Earth Orbits (LEO), have the potential to cause interference to some radio astronomy facilities. The UK regulator Ofcom has aligned its licences for LEO constellations with international regulations to protect radio astronomy sites in the UK.

Through the International Telecommunications Union, the UK is actively participating in studies on reducing interference to internationally important radio astronomy sites including the Square Kilometre Array. These will lead to the development of new regulations with the potential to be confirmed at the 2027 World Radio Conference.

I also refer to the answer I gave the Viscount Stansgate during a Lords Oral Question session on Wednesday 20th November 2024.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many satellites under the control of UK-registered businesses have been launched from overseas locations in each of the past 15 years.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

728 UK-registered satellites have been launched overseas in the last 15 years. Between 2010 and 2019 there was an average of five and a half UK-registered satellites launched overseas each year, rising to 134.4 launches each year between 2020 and 2024.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many satellites under the control of UK-registered businesses have been in orbit in each year of the past 15 years; and what estimate they have made of the number of satellites under the control of UK-registered business in orbit by 2035.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

According to the UN Index of Objects Launched in Outer Space and following the Elevation-1 satellite launch earlier this year, there are now 763 UK owned satellites in orbit. We do not currently have an estimate of the number of UK-registered satellites expected to be in orbit by 2035.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total number of satellites expected to be in orbit by 2035, and how many satellites were in orbit in each of the past 15 years.

Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Estimates vary but the total number of satellites in orbit is expected to reach up to 60,000 by 2030, and increase further by 2035. In 2010 the total number of satellites in orbit was 3,327, rising to 6,271 by 2020 and to over 13,600 today.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the pay bands for special advisers for each year from 2018 to 2019; and how many special advisers were employed in each of those years within each pay band.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office has published details of special adviser appointments annually on gov.uk since 2010 and these are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs on GOV.UK.

Details of special adviser appointments between 2002 and 2010 were periodically released in Written Parliamentary Statements and are available via Hansard but records from this period are not readily available.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the pay bands for special advisers for each year from 2011 to 2015; and how many Government special advisers were employed in each of those years within each pay band.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office has published details of special adviser appointments annually on gov.uk since 2010 and these are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs on GOV.UK.

Details of special adviser appointments between 2002 and 2010 were periodically released in Written Parliamentary Statements and are available via Hansard but records from this period are not readily available.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the pay bands for Government special advisers for each year from 2016 to 2017; and how many special advisers were employed in each of those years within each pay band.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office has published details of special adviser appointments annually on gov.uk since 2010 and these are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs on GOV.UK.

Details of special adviser appointments between 2002 and 2010 were periodically released in Written Parliamentary Statements and are available via Hansard but records from this period are not readily available.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the pay bands for Government special advisers for each year from 2006 to 2010; and how many special advisers were employed in each of those years within each pay band.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office has published details of special adviser appointments annually on gov.uk since 2010 and these are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs on GOV.UK.

Details of special adviser appointments between 2002 and 2010 were periodically released in Written Parliamentary Statements and are available via Hansard but records from this period are not readily available.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the pay bands for Government special advisers for each year from 2002 to 2005; and how many special advisers were employed in each of those years within each pay band.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office has published details of special adviser appointments annually on gov.uk since 2010 and these are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs on GOV.UK.

Details of special adviser appointments between 2002 and 2010 were periodically released in Written Parliamentary Statements and are available via Hansard but records from this period are not readily available.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the pay bands for Government special advisers for each year from 1997 to 2001; and how many special advisers were employed in each of those years within each pay band.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Cabinet Office has published details of special adviser appointments annually on gov.uk since 2010 and these are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/special-adviser-data-releases-numbers-and-costs on GOV.UK.

Details of special adviser appointments between 2002 and 2010 were periodically released in Written Parliamentary Statements and are available via Hansard but records from this period are not readily available.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they issue guidance to schools and colleges regarding their use of social media channels, particularly the use of these to mark religious occasions and festivals.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department has not issued specific guidance for schools on the use of social media channels, although the department’s ‘Political impartiality in schools’ guidance makes the point that school-branded social media channels should not be partisan and should present a balanced presentation of political issues. However, this guidance is clear that the principles or views in line with the tenets of a particular faith are not considered to be political, so are not covered by statutory requirements on political impartiality. The full guidance is attached and can also be read at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.

Found: Excepted Hereditary) Lord Sahota (Labour; Life peer) Baroness Sater (Conservative; Life peer) Lord Watson of Wyre Forest

Found: Excepted Hereditary) Lord Sahota (Labour; Life peer) Baroness Sater (Conservative; Life peer) Lord Watson of Wyre Forest