Defence Evaluation Research Agency
(DERA)
75. DERA told us that their role as a full partner
in BNSC ensures that there is synergy between the MoD and BNSC
programmes. It also means that DERA's relationship with industry
is one of partnership rather than competition.[229]
They say that they have the ability to execute, within Government,
technical programmes of research, development and procurement
support for customers from the defence and civil communities in
the UK and overseas.[230]
The latest proposals for the partial privatisation of DERA involve
the retention in the public sector of certain "core competences"
and separation of the rest into a private sector body—'New
DERA'.[231]
The advice on space technology hitherto given to the BNSC by DERA
will presumably come henceforth from "Retained DERA";
much remains to be decided on the details. We assume that the
bulk of DERA's operational staff and facilities at Farnborough
are likely to be privatised. It is crucial for the future operation
of BNSC, given its reliance on DERA for advice and services, that
it can be assured that the 'Retained DERA' has the capacity to
interpret data from 'New DERA' and that the current strong relationship
between BNSC and 'Retained DERA' is maintained. The Government
plans in this respect are still very short on detail. The Defence
Committee noted in their recent report that "the boundary
between undertaking primary research (New-DERA's main role) and
pulling together the strands of knowledge from such research (Retained-DERA's
role) is ill-defined and permeable.[232]
We recommend that the Government take the opportunity of its
response to this Report to set out how it is envisaged that the
changes in DERA's status and role will impact on UK space policy,
and in particular on (a) the availability to BNSC of expert, impartial,
and free advice on space technology, and (b) on the extent to
which UK firms offering technology potentially in competition
with DERA will be able to bid for MoD contracts.
76. The growing convergence in civilian and military
applications, not only in EO but also in communications and navigation,
means that civilian users are now in a position of equality. It
is therefore all the more important that national and multilateral
programmes should reflect this commonality in technology and application.
It is interesting to note that in 1987, shortly after the formation
of BNSC, the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology
observed that, amongst those that commented on how well the civil
and defence aspects of space activity were integrated, the "majority
view was that the two sides had not been well linked in the past
and that greater integration was essential".[233]
In the review of the role, status and organisation of BNSC which
we recommend below, full attention should be given to co-ordination
between military and civil applications.[234]
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