  We present the first results from the \xmm Galactic Plane Survey (XGPS). In
the first phase of the programme, 22 pointings were used to cover a region of
approximately three square degrees between 19\deg -- 22\deg in Galactic
longitude and $\pm$0.6\deg in latitude. In total we have resolved over 400
point X-ray sources, at $\geq 5 \sigma$ significance, down to a flux limit of
$\sim2 \times 10^{-14}$ \ergseccm (2--10 keV). The combination of the XGPS
measurements in the hard X-ray band with the results from earlier surveys
carried out by \asca and \chan reveals the form of the low-latitude X-ray
source counts over 4 decades of flux. It appears that extragalactic sources
dominate below $\sim10^{-13}$ \ergseccm (2--10 keV), with a predominantly
Galactic source population present above this flux threshold. The nature of the
faint Galactic population observed by \xmm remains uncertain, although
cataclysmic variables and RS CVn systems may contribute substantially. \xmm
observes an enhanced surface brightness in the Galactic plane in the 2--6 keV
band associated with Galactic Ridge X-ray Emission (GRXE). The integrated
contribution of Galactic sources plus the breakthrough of extragalactic signal
accounts for up to 20 per cent of the observed surface brightness. The XGPS
results are consistent with the picture suggested from a deep \chan observation
in the Galactic plane, namely that the bulk of the GRXE is truly diffuse.
