European Organization for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (Immunities and Privileges) Order 2009

I thank the Minister for explaining this order; it was covered in some detail in the other place. It puts into effect in this country an existing multilateral protocol on privileges and immunities agreed by the original parties to the European Organisation for Astronomical Research and signed in Paris in 1974. When the United Kingdom joined the organisation in 2002, it also became a signatory to that multilateral agreement, and this instrument is designed to give legal force to those obligations. The European Southern Observatory facility in the Atacama Desert in Chile has, for instance, a new technology telescope that, using active optics, can compensate for atmospheric conditions. It also has a very large telescope—VLT—array consisting of four eight-metre telescopes. There are also plans to build a European extremely large telescope. Those projects have pushed back the limit of observable space and have made notable discoveries, which include Gliese 581e—the lightest exoplanet yet found, just under twice the size of earth but more than 20 light years away—evidence of a black hole at the centre of our galaxy, and what is possibly the furthest galaxy ever seen. All that comes from facilities 2,400 metres up in the middle of the driest desert in the world, in northern Chile. If it sounds like a set from a James Bond film, that is because it was; in "Quantum of Solace", the baddie, Dominic Greene, chose the ESO facility in Chile as his hideout. The European Southern Observatory is a world-class asset from which British astronomy gains enormously, and which benefits Britain’s world-class scientists. As such, this statutory instrument is uncontroversial. However, as the measure constitutes an international treaty, I would like to ask some questions on some specifics. First, given that the headquarters are in Germany and the facilities in Chile, what practical effect—if any—will putting the instruments into UK law have on this country? Why is this order necessary? For instance, will anyone enter the UK using diplomatic immunity under this instrument? Will the organisation claim any exemptions from United Kingdom tax? Secondly, can the Minister assure me that the fall in sterling will not affect the UK Government’s funding of the project, and that there will be no knock-on effect on other projects funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council? Thirdly, how many British staff will be working in Chile or Germany under diplomatic immunity? Lastly, given that this country signed the agreement in 2002, why are we dealing with it now?