Space Industry

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Westminster Hall

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I thank the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mark Garnier) for his passionate and expert input today; he certainly got my cogs turning. I am sure that the Minister has been taking notes.

Every day, 18% of Britain’s economy depends on technology orbiting 300 miles above our heads, from our morning coffee purchase to the GPS that may have got us here today. As I learned this morning, even paying for our tube tickets depends on the satellites above us. Satellites orchestrate our daily lives. Nearly one fifth of everything that we produce as a nation now relies on the invisible infrastructure spinning above us.

The UK space sector has achieved something remarkable: in just three years, it has grown from a £7 billion industry into a £18.9 billion powerhouse, with more than 52,000 jobs across the country. Today we have heard about Scotland, Cornwall, Northern Ireland and the north-east, with their vibrant and growing industry, manufacturing, launch capabilities and data. Further downstream, in my constituency of Harpenden and Berkhamsted, the Rothamsted Enterprises centre hosts companies such as Agrilytix, an agricultural monitoring system that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to provide enhanced decision support for smaller farms in challenging environments. Locally, I have also spoken to Daniel, a co-founder of Safe Citizens—a platform that alerts citizens’ mobile phones if they are in the vicinity of potentially dangerous incidents, while remaining anonymous and reducing battery use.

Overall, the space economy represents growth that is three and a half times faster than that of our broader economy. Yet despite that remarkable success, Britain continues to under-invest compared to our international competitors. Just last week, the Royal Society warned that the UK risks missing out on one of the most significant technological and economic opportunities of the next half century unless we adopt a more coherent, forward-looking vision for space. We have an opportunity to lead the world in one of the most significant economic sectors of the 21st century, but only if we act now with vision and purpose.

Let us explore more where Britain stands within the international space industry. We host more than 1,500 space companies and rank as the world’s leading producer of space research. Additionally, 50 UK universities, including Durham University, mentioned today, contribute to cutting-edge space technology. We attract more private space investment than any nation, excluding the United States. But here is the challenge: while we excel at innovation, we lag in strategic investment, as was eloquently highlighted by the hon. Member for Wyre Forest and also mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives (Andrew George). Our space sector could reach £32 billion by the end of the next Parliament, creating up to 50,000 additional jobs. However, that potential will remain unrealised without proper Government backing.

Additionally, the international context around space is experiencing unprecedented growth. My hon. Friend the Member for St Ives talked about the importance of working internationally, as did the hon. Member for Wyre Forest. That rapid expansion brings significant challenges that we cannot ignore. Space is becoming increasingly crowded and contested, as the hon. Member for Congleton (Sarah Russell) also highlighted. We are witnessing a growing problem with space debris, as defunct satellites and rocket fragments threaten active missions and could eventually make certain orbits unusable for future generations.

Beyond environmental concerns, we are also watching space become increasingly militarised and contested. Without proper governance, space risks becoming dominated by whoever can afford the biggest rockets, rather than it serving humanity’s shared interests. Britain must advocate for responsible space development; innovation must serve society’s needs and not just commercial interests. That is why the Liberal Democrats believe that space must be a national strategic priority, but one that is pursued responsibly. Last year, the Government met only 31% of their physics teacher recruitment target and only 37% of their computing teacher target—subjects at the base of our space industry. What are the Government doing to address those shortages? Unless they do, we cannot build the skilled workforce that our space sector requires.

To quote the great Tim Peake, life in orbit is “spectacular”. That is why, as Liberal Democrats, we are also committed to increasing research and development investment to 3.5% of GDP by 2034, which would position Britain among the world’s leading space powers. Additionally, we would invest in science, technology, engineering and maths education; the hon. Member for Congleton highlighted the importance of that as well as of teacher recruitment.

What is the Minister’s view, or the view of the Department for Business and Trade? How does it link with our industrial strategy and workforce planning to support regional space hubs—from Scotland’s satellite clusters to Cornwall’s spaceport—and provide long-term funding that allows researchers to develop breakthrough technologies? The Liberal Democrats would also introduce proof-of-concept funding to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial application. We would ensure that public investment in space technology benefits the public, not just private shareholders. I would be interested on the Minister’s comments on that.

The Liberal Democrats would also reform UK Research and Innovation, as well as the British Business Bank, to ensure that public funding supports the public good, allowing the British to benefit from advances in UK space technology. Finally, on the international front, we will champion co-operation through organisations such as the European Space Agency while advocating for environmental stewardship in space development. The orbital environment must be protected for future generations.

In conclusion, Britain stands at a crossroads. We can continue to punch below our weight while others shape the space economy, or we can reclaim our position as a global leader in science and technology. With proper investment, strategic vision and responsible governance, Britain can lead the world in space technology. In all, that would not only be an economic opportunity for our country, but ensure that we stuck to our responsibility to protect space for future generations.

I thank the hon. Member for Wyre Forest once again for securing today’s debate. Together we can strengthen our economy, creating high-skilled jobs and developing technologies that solve real problems for communities across Britain. By doing so, we can ultimately “reach for the stars”, like the children, mentioned by the hon. Member for Truro and Falmouth (Jayne Kirkham), who were watching as rockets were launched into space.