Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to support the use of non-passenger-carrying drones to convey freight.

This Government is supporting and accelerating the use of drone technologies for freight logistics in both the commercial and public sectors, such as for the transport of vital medical supplies within the NHS.

I am committed to enabling Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations at scale in integrated airspace. I will be chairing the Future of Flight Industry Group, bringing together industry leaders, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and local representatives to help realise the benefits of drones and other future flight technologies for freight and other uses in a safe and sustainable way.

My Department is also funding the CAA to deliver on its BVLOS Technical Strategy which was published in September 2024 and sets out a roadmap towards routine BVLOS operations; as well as funding the £7 million Freight Innovation Fund which supports the commercialisation of late-stage innovative solutions, including drones.