Overview

The Space Industry (Indemnities) Bill amends the Space Industry Act 2018 to ensure that licenses for spaceflight activities clearly state the licensee's liability limit for potential damages. This clarifies the level of financial responsibility operators must accept.

Description

This bill makes two key changes to the Space Industry Act 2018:

• Mandatory Indemnity Limits: It changes the wording in section 12, requiring operator licenses to explicitly state the licensee's maximum indemnity (liability) in case of incidents. Previously, it was optional for licenses to include an indemnity limit.
• Clarification of Indemnity Obligation: Section 36 is amended to clarify which claims the operator's indemnity covers. The ambiguity around "any" claims is removed, enhancing clarity.

The bill also addresses the geographical extent of the amendments, ensuring they apply to the UK and allowing for potential extension to Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to significantly impact government spending. The changes primarily affect the licensing process and clarify liability, not directly increasing or reducing government expenditure.

Groups Affected

• Spaceflight Operators: This bill directly affects spaceflight operators. They must now clearly define their indemnity limits in their licenses. This will affect their insurance needs and potentially their operational costs.
• Government (UK): The government benefits from clearer liability parameters, improving risk management in the space industry.
• Insurers: Insurers providing coverage for spaceflight activities will need to adapt their policies to reflect the mandatory indemnity limits.

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