Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials of his Department have had with representatives of the aerospace industry on the the potential benefits of the use of autonomous technology.

The Government is actively supporting the development of innovative technology in aviation including automation. We supported a Global Urban Air Summit held at Farnborough last week which brought together industry, academia and government to discuss the development of new technologies like electric and autonomous aircraft.

The Transport Secretary met a range of aviation stakeholders at the Light Aircraft Association Rally. In addition Ministers from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Challenge meet regularly with the Aerospace Industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership.