Space f light Bill ‘a boost for Scotland’
A SPACE flight Bill to be included in the Queen’s Speech could see Scotland become ‘a thriving hub’ for the industry, according to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
New powers would see the launch of satellites from the UK for the first time, with horizontal flights to the edge of space for scientific experiments and the creation of spaceports across the UK.
A number of Scottish sites have expressed an interest in the project, including Scottish Government-owned Glasgow Prestwick in Ayrshire, Campbeltown in Argyll and Stornoway on Lewis.
The powers will be announced alongside new laws to extend the High Speed 2 railway line, reducing the time it takes to travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London to under four hours.
Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell said: ‘This new legislation on space ports will be a giant leap forward for Scotland’s ambitious space and satellite sector. It will give each of our potential spaceports a fantastic opportunity to establish Scotland as a thriving hub for commercial spaceflight.
‘By capitalising on our existing scientific expertise, a Scottish spaceport would create new, skilled jobs and drive economic growth.’
Ministers said they wanted to establish spaceports in ‘regions across the UK’, to allow satellites to be sent into space for the first time from UK soil and to allow spacecraft to fly to the edge of the atmosphere. Officials estimate the UK space industry is already worth £13.7billion and 38,000 jobs are based on the development of satellites, but these cannot at present be launched from the UK.
Ministers want to capture part of an expanding market and end dependence on ‘foreign launch services’. The new law
‘Highly paid jobs of the future’
will license various space-related activities including rockets, ‘space planes’ and satellite operation.
A new immigration law will also be published, setting out the system for reducing migrant numbers after free movement comes to an end after Brexit.
Some major policy commitments from the Conservative election manifesto have been abandoned by Downing Street in an attempt to devise a legislative programme which can get through Parliament.
But one key element that will go ahead is a new Bill to allow the extension of the HS2 rail project from Birmingham to the North-West of England.
Other powers will make it easier for drivers of electric cars to register to use charging points. There are an estimated 100,000 electric cars and vans on Britain’s roads.
Last night, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘We are absolutely determined to give Britain the transport infrastructure it needs so that we can thrive and grow as we leave the European Union. The measures we outline this week will ensure our legal structures are ready for the high-skill, highly paid jobs of the future.’