Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they undertook on the economic and safety impact of the cancellation of EGNOS; how they assessed these impacts; and whether they will place in the Library of the House any reports and conclusions relating to this cancellation.
Answered on
11 February 2022
During the negotiations leading to the 24 December 2020 EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Government’s policy on the UK’s future membership of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) was informed by discussions with the UK’s independent airspace and safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority. These discussions included considering the likely impacts on the UK’s aviation sector if the UK withdrew from the EGNOS programme set against the costs to the taxpayer of remaining within it. The Government concluded that on balance, continued UK membership of EGNOS represented poor value for the taxpayer.
There are no relevant reports and the Government’s conclusion on participation in EGNOS was set out in the “Guidance on UK involvement in the EU Space Programme” which was published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 31 December 2020.