Unmanned Air Vehicles

Transport written question – answered at on 7 April 2014.

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Photo of Tom Watson Tom Watson Labour, West Bromwich East

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made by the cross-government working group on remotely piloted aircraft systems. [R]

Photo of Robert Goodwill Robert Goodwill Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Cross Government Working Group has been discussing its draft Terms of Reference (extract copied as follows) and its membership. The focus of its work so far has been to gather information from the relevant Departments to identify areas of common interest requiring collaboration.

RPAS Cross Government Working Group Vision and Activities

Vision

To provide a consistent government message on RPAS issues.

Objectives

Inform RPAS-related departmental policies and publish a UK Cross Government vision/strategy for UAS.

To identify Cross Government synergies and opportunities for efficiencies.

To identify and address barriers to a successful UK industry base, to support the Government's growth agenda.

Approach

Focus for the co-ordination of all UK Government RPAS related activities.

Developing a better knowledge and a shared understanding of departmental priorities, activities, ambitions and concerns.

Help industry understand Government needs and vision.

Identify opportunities.

Identify key questions.

Community of users (identification of user requirements).

UK PoC for RPAS.

Issues to Address

Identifying the extent to which the UK can support safe and secure RPAS operations in the UK, including options for the certification of RPAS, pilot licensing, and associated systems.

Identifying the key characteristics of RPAS infrastructure, including the potential radio spectrum for RPAS operations in the UK.

Seek to identify common Cross Government user requirements to understand future concepts for shared assets / system procurement and maintenance.

Determining how the UK might best position itself to take advantage of RPAS industry and technology.

Engagement

Understand the potential benefits of RPAS to Government.

Inform and be informed by active industry associations eg

Aeronautical and Aerospace and Defence Knowledge Transfer Network Autonomous Systems National technical committee.

Robotics and Autonomous Systems Special Interest Group.

Through identification of best practice and successful projects.

UK industry.

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