Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on enhancing regulation of (a) commercial and (b) experimental technologies for (i) marine and (ii) outer space experiential excursions.

MARINE EXCURSIONS

The Government can only regulate vessels in UK waters, and UK-flagged vessels wherever they are in the world. There are no regulations covering deep-sea submersibles used in international waters, and there is only one submersible listed on the UK flag. No non-UK-flagged manned civilian submersibles operate in the UK.

The Government does not have plans to review the UK regulatory regime here.

OUTER SPACE EXCURSIONS

The Space Industry Act 2018 (the 2018 Act) and Space Industry Regulations 2021 (the 2021 Regulations) provides the legislative framework for the licensing of space activities, sub-orbital activities, and associated activities carried out in the UK, including sub-orbital missions involving human occupants.

However, the Government does not have plans at present to permit, and therefore has not commenced provisions in the 2018 Act for, the licensing of orbital spaceflight involving human occupants; or the licensing of spaceflight activities involving hypersonic (or any other experimental) transport from one point to another (A to B).