WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has called on the Prime Minister to stick to his pledge to preserve a globally important radio telescope array including the iconic dish at Defford.
The Government has decided to end funding for the seven dishes stretching across the country including the Jodrell Bank Observatory which have been used to discover black holes, are used by thousands of scientists to carry out research projects and the technology can also be used in our national military defence.
The MP has written to the Government calling for the continuation of funding and accused Ministers of disregarding the nation’s reputation as a global leader in research and development.
The Prime Minister has made statements saying he resists the termination of the programme but his Ministers continue to press on with the end of the historic radio telescopes and instead will divert funding to building a new smaller array of telescopes in South Africa.
Dame Harriett said: “Our nation is immensely proud of our scientific heritage and the dish standing proudly on the former RAF Defford runway forming part of a vital international research effort.
“It’s not just scientific vandalism but it is proof that the Prime Minister says one thing while allowing his Ministers to do another.
“It seems madness to me that the Government is blowing our money on a South African telescope array when we have a perfectly good system operating at a fraction of the cost, for the benefit of the whole world, in the heart of our country.
“It has important science benefits and can even support our national defence programme.
“I’m writing to the Government again to ask Ministers to review the funding cancellation and I hope that we’ll have a continuing operating radio telescope in West Worcestershire for many years to come.