To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has held discussions with the East of England Development Agency on its proposal to spend £12 million on a space satellite. (130624)

[holding answer 29 March 2007]: My officials in the British National Space Centre (BNSC) have worked with the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the London Development Agency (LDA) to fund the UK subscription in support of the Inmarsat-led I-XL (Inmarsat eXtended L-band) bid to the European Space Agency (ESA) Alphasat Programme.