Member of Parliament for Macclesfield, David Rutley, has publicly declared his support for Jodrell Bank to remain as the headquarters of the world’s largest radio telescope project, known as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), during a debate held in Parliament.
Speaking during the Westminster Hall debate on “Government Support for Businesses in the North of England” on 14th January, which David initiated, he highlighted the bid by Jodrell Bank to remain as the headquarters of the Square Kilometre Array. Amongst those in attendance was the Science Minister, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, and during the debate, David asked the Minister to support the important bid, which is due to be submitted in February.
Jodrell Bank is a unique asset in the UK and worldwide. The SKA Organisation came to Jodrell Bank in late 2012, with a formal opening of the SKA Building on 19th April 2013. It is important that Jodrell Bank continues to host this global project, which is at the leading edge of astrophysics research, as it moves from the design phase into its next phase of operation after 2017.
The site has been a centre of excellence for radio astronomy since 1957 and hosts the e-Merlin National Facility and the Lovell Telescope, facilities that continue to produce world-class science. It also hosts the outstanding Discovery Centre, which has done much to increase public awareness of science in the UK with over 140,000 visitors per year, including around 16,000 school children taking part in its high calibre Education Programme.
The Discovery Centre has received numerous awards, most recently the Team of the Year, in the Marketing Cheshire Annual Awards. Furthermore, the BBC has transmitted its Stargazing Live Programme from Jodrell Bank in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, on three evenings, presented by Prof. Brian Cox and Dara O Briain. This reached around 3.6 million viewers each evening.
David Rutley is a strong supporter of Jodrell Bank, and is a regular visitor to the site. Like many local residents, he is very proud to have this excellent science facility in Cheshire. In addition to speaking up for Jodrell Bank in the debate, David has also written a letter of support highlighting how Jodrell Bank remains an outstanding location to host the SKA organisation, as it moves on to the next phases of its operations.
Speaking in the debate, David said, “It is enormously important that the Government supports with every effort the moves to secure Jodrell Bank (and the North of England) as the headquarters of this international flagship project for its next phases, beyond the design stage, too.”
He went on to say, “By supporting businesses at the cutting edge of international science in the North, we can help to put the North itself at the cutting edge of the 21st-century global economy”.
In response, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP stated, “We are very proud of this asset. The heritage of Jodrell Bank in being at the leading edge of science is very important to us. I am due to meet the review panel for the SKA next month, and I will signal our wholehearted commitment to the project and to promoting Jodrell Bank as the rightful location for the SKA’s headquarters.”