To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of the Department for Transport of 11 February 2014, Official Report, columns 525-6W, on Government Departments: unmanned air vehicles, which remotely piloted aircraft systems his Department employs to collect data; which policies are supported by the collection of such data; and where those systems are operated. [R]

Core DEFRA has not used any unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Food and Environment Research Agency, Environment Agency, Natural England and the Royal Botanic Gardens have used unmanned aerial vehicles to support work on flood defence and coastal erosion and the monitoring of crops, plants and nature reserves. All flights were carried out within the UK except for an aerial plant survey in Peru carried out by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

UAV systems used include:

Quest UAV 200

Flysense Ebee

DJI S800 Spreading Wings

Swinglet.