Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle the use of drones over (a) power plants and (b) prisons.

We are taking decisive steps to tackle the use of drones by criminals to convey contraband into prisons. Last year saw the launch of Operation Trenton, a joint team of specialist police and prison investigators, working together to intercept drones and track down the criminals behind them. To date, there have been at least 30 convictions related to drone activity, with those sentenced serving a total of more than 100 years in prison.

Government and industry take the protective security of all energy infrastructure very seriously. As the lead department for energy, the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy works with industry partners to review and assess all risks to ensure that energy networks are resilient to disruption, be that from malicious attack or hazards such as adverse weather conditions. The Government has outlined plans to explore options related to 'No Drone Flying Zones' around national infrastructure sites including power stations.

Government introduced The Air Navigation (Amendment) Order 2018 on 30 May, which when fully implemented in 2019, will create a mandatory registration scheme for drone operators. The legislation will also require drone operators to obtain an acknowledgement of competency from the Civil Aviation Authority.