Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Deferred
Achieving UK space leadership demands coherent long-term investment strategy and devolved alignment
Recommendation
The UK’s ambition to become a global leader in space, as outlined in the National Space Strategy, is clear—but achieving this vision requires more than ambition. It demands a coherent, long-term investment strategy, stronger alignment with the devolved administrations and funding that supports each area of space innovation—from research and development through to manufacturing and commercialisation. (Conclusion, Paragraph 82) 41
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that long-term strategic investment is essential and states it is working to prioritise investments, with costed plans to be published in 2026 to provide clarity on strategic priorities.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
• The Government welcomes the Committee’s recommendation and agrees that long-term strategic investment is essential to the success of the UK space sector. We recognise that prioritisation within the Industrial Strategy must be matched by a clear, coordinated approach to delivery that aligns with and builds on the objectives of the National Space Strategy and Defence Space Strategy. • To that end, the Government has been working to strategically prioritise investments in space, by identifying priority cross-government outcomes sought and the capabilities needed to achieve them. This includes defining core categories and cross-cutting activities, supported by costed delivery plans and refreshed governance structures. These efforts are designed to formalise a ‘one-government’ capabilities-led approach to space, ensuring that investment decisions are aligned across departments to ensure maximum impact against our intended outcomes, and to support the ambitions set out in the Industrial Strategy, National Space Strategy, and Defence Space Strategy. • The Government recognises the need to communicate the strategic priorities to the sector to provide greater clarity and confidence. To enable this, we will publish these costed plans in 2026, setting out what government will prioritise delivering over the spending review period.