Source · Select Committees · Scottish Affairs Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted
Space sector prioritisation requires long-term strategic investment aligned with national strategies
Recommendation
The sector’s prioritisation within the Industrial Strategy, must be underpinned by a long-term and strategic approach to investment in the sector, which is also aligned with the objectives of the National Space Strategy and Defence Space Strategy. Such an approach would provide stakeholders with greater confidence, stability with existing policies and a clearer roadmap for long-term growth. (Recommendation, Paragraph 83)
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the need for long-term strategic investment and outlines efforts to formalise a 'one-government' capabilities-led approach to space investments. It commits to publishing costed plans in 2026, which will detail government priorities over the spending review period.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
• 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.