Hansard

I congratulate John Scott on securing the debate, which is on a subject that both of us are happy to work together to promote. For the benefit of members, although the airport falls within John Scott’s constituency, the aerospace part lies within mine.

In any case, the whole of Ayrshire is united in its desire to see the aerospace industry and the airport thrive and prosper after some difficult trading years post the 2008 crash. Forecasts for the sector as a whole over the next 15 years are extremely good, with several aerospace markets set to double in size.

Currently the UK aerospace sector accounts for 17 per cent of global market share—second only to the USA. Prestwick is the largest cluster in Scotland: it accounts for more than 50 per cent of the Scottish aerospace workforce, contributes some £400 million to the local economy and supports 3,200 jobs.

The question is how to secure the future of Prestwick and take advantage of that growth. For me, winning the bid to become the UK’s first operational spaceport will go a long way towards achieving that objective.

The UK Government is seeking to establish such a facility by 2018. It will become a launch station for next-generation satellites and space instruments using the modern generation of horizontal take-off space launch vehicles and, in due course, will become an operating base for manned flights using reusable spacecraft.

Prestwick has to be the preferred bidder from a Scottish perspective. There is an experienced high-tech aerospace workforce in the substantial aviation and engineering companies on site, and the Scottish Government has awarded the aerospace park enterprise area status.

Our universities in the west of Scotland are at the forefront of space and engineering research and technology. If that is coupled with the airport’s established physical infrastructure, which includes a 3km runway, safe over-water flight paths, clear airspace, an enviable weather record and well-developed transport connections to the rest of Scotland, the case becomes incontrovertible.

Surely it is a no-brainer that Prestwick should maximise the value that can come to Scotland from space sector growth. That does not mean that other potential Scottish locations should be left out in the cold. Prestwick could operate Machrihanish as a diversionary location and for special tests operations. Highlands and Islands locations should be developed for ground station networks.

A bid that incorporates those features would have every chance of success. Scotland would clearly be best placed for UK satellite launch and polar orbit deployments and for ground stations for satellite data capture. I urge the minister to throw the Scottish Government’s weight behind such a bid.