Whilst doing my daily read through Hansard on the train is morning I came across this written answer in the House of Lords about monitoring Space Weather:
Question
Asked by Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have, in collaboration with other European countries and the European Space Agency, to establish a European system for monitoring, forecasting and disseminating information on space weather. [HL839]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Baroness Wilcox): The UK Space Agency is working with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a space situational awareness programme. An element of this programme covers the development of operational space weather monitoring facilities, including space borne instruments, ground based sensors and telescopes. A further element of the programme addresses the provision and dissemination of space weather forecasts and event warnings by setting up a pilot space weather service centre with expert advisers, a support helpdesk, an archive and a web portal.
This is an optional ESA programme and UK participation must be subject to review against other calls on the space agency budget. A draft business case supporting participation has been prepared by agency staff in consultation with the UK space weather community and interested stakeholders.
© Parliamentary material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO on behalf of Parliament. Licence No: P2011000006
Peter Mount's Blog 