New legislation to extend the ‘no-fly’ zone around airports comes into force today (13 March 2019). It is now illegal to fly a drone within 5km of an airport, with major penalties for those who break the law.

The government has acted to bring the law change in ahead of a new Drones Bill which will give police significantly increased powers to deal with those using drones illegally. Penalties for breaking the law on misusing drones range from fines to life imprisonment if the device is intentionally used to cause violence.

Drone users can only fly within the restriction zones if they have the correct permission from air traffic control or the airport.

On 20 March 2019, the Aviation Minister Liz Sugg will meet with global leading drone manufacturers to discuss how to tackle criminal drone use. They are expected to discuss a range of topics including counter-drone technology and software – such as ‘geofencing’ – that could be built into drones at the point of manufacture.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

The UK has been consistently at the forefront of legislation to tackle drone misuse.

All drone users should be aware that flying a drone within 5km of an airport or over 400ft is a serious criminal act, one which could put lives at risk and risks penalties ranging from significant fines to a life sentence.

I urge people to report any suspicious drone activity to local police or Crimestoppers UK on 0800 555 111.

Aviation Minister Liz Sugg, said:

Flying drones illegally puts others at risk both in the air and on the ground, so it’s vital they are used safely.

The majority of people using drones want to do so responsibly, so we have expanded a national campaign to ensure they know the rules – and the penalties.

The new Drones Bill, which is currently being drafted, will give new powers to the police to clamp down on those misusing drones and other small unmanned aircraft – including the power to access electronic data stored on a drone with a warrant. It will also include stop and search powers for drone users near aerodromes.

Drones exclusion zone video

The Home Office is also reviewing the UK’s approach to countering the malicious use of drones, and will consider how best to protect the full range of the UK’s critical national infrastructure – including testing and evaluating technology to counter drones.

• review finds that tech giants do not face enough competition
• new markets unit needed to set and enforce rules
• existing rules need updating to tackle mergers and improve enforcement
• experts say action is needed to increase choice and innovation for consumers

Tech giants have become increasingly dominant and ministers must open the market up to increase consumer choice and give people greater control over their data, an independent review said today (Wednesday 13 March).

Harvard Professor Jason Furman has warned that UK competition rules must be updated to be fit for the digital age. He cited the benefits brought by technology firms but said the rules needed to evolve to keep pace with the market.

He has urged the government to increase competition in the digital sector by setting up a new competition unit and strengthening outdated laws. He believes more companies would then be able to join the market on a more equal-footing – ushering in a new wave of innovation and the creation of new social media and online search platforms.

An independent panel of experts led by Professor Furman – who was chief economic adviser to President Barack Obama’s White House – and including Professors Diane Coyle, Amelia Fletcher, Derek McAuley and Philip Marsden has investigated the sector. Today they have made the following recommendations to address this international problem, so that Britain can lead the world in the technological revolution:

• a new digital markets unit should be set up with expertise in technology, economics and behavioural science and the legal powers to back it up
• the new unit should give people more control over their data by enabling people to switch between platforms more easily
• it should also develop a code of conduct so the largest digital companies know the competitive rules of the game
• regulators’ existing powers for tackling illegal anti-competitive practices need to be strengthened – making it quicker and simpler to prosecute breaches, such as bullying tactics by market leaders
• changes to merger rules are needed so the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can better stop digital mergers that are likely to damage future competition, innovation and consumer choice
• the CMA should launch a formal market study into the digital advertising market which is dominated by two players and suffers from a lack of transparency
• powers to force the largest companies to open up to smaller firms through providing access to key data sets, when doing so does not affect privacy
• the UK should engage internationally on all of these issues

Harvard Professor Jason Furman, chair of the independent review of competition in the digital sector, said:

The digital sector has created substantial benefits but these have come at the cost of increasing dominance of a few companies which is limiting competition and consumer choice and innovation. Some say this is inevitable or even desirable. I think the UK can do better.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, was right to recognise there is a better way than just continuing with the status quo. My panel is outlining a balanced proposal to give people more control over their data, give small businesses more of a chance to enter and thrive, and create more predictability for the large digital companies. These recommendations will deliver an economic boost driven by UK tech start-ups and innovation that will give consumers greater choice and protection.

Responding to Professor Furman’s Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, said:

The UK leads the world in embracing technology and the opportunities it delivers for people. Competition is fundamental to ensuring the market works in the interest of consumers, but we know some tech giants are still accumulating too much power, preventing smaller businesses from entering the market.

The work of Jason Furman and the expert panel is invaluable in ensuring we’re at the forefront of delivering a competitive digital marketplace. I will carefully examine the proposals put forward by the panel before responding later this year, setting out how the government will implement the changes needed to ensure our digital markets are competitive and consumers get the level of choice they deserve.

The report – commissioned by Chancellor Philip Hammond on behalf of the government and published today ahead of the Spring Statement – recognises the digital economy has delivered many benefits and helped change the way people live their lives for the better. However, it is clear that more competition is needed to continue generating new benefits for consumers.

It found these proposals could boost the economy by encouraging the development of new platforms to compete with established players. Opening markets up would also lead to new services that revolutionise how we use digital apps and programmes. For example, an aggregator service could bring together a person’s content and data from several social media platforms and make it easier to browse and message friends and family who use different apps.

Customers will be able to switch services more easily, taking their custom elsewhere and with greater control over their data. Lists of friends could be transferred to new social media sites and search histories could be transferred to a new search engine.

Next stages

The Chancellor will make an initial response to the review in his Spring Statement speech this afternoon. The government is expected to formally respond to its recommendations in the summer.

The independent panel was made up of Professors Jason Furman, Diane Coyle, Amelia Fletcher, Derek McAuley and Philip Marsden.

The panel has made 20 specific recommendations for the government. These can be found in the full report.

A project working to challenge the social acceptance of violence against women and girls in the DRC saw women’s experience of domestic violence fall from 69% to 29% after two years of intervention.

• UK aid-backed research programme ‘What Works to Prevent Violence’ studies effective ways to reduce rates of violence against women and girls around the world.
• A pilot in the Democratic Republic of Congo dramatically cut violence against women by 58%.
• The project trained faith leaders and community volunteers in 15 remote and conflict-affected communities to speak out and make violence socially unacceptable.

A UK aid project has dramatically reduced women’s experience of domestic and sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A project working to challenge the social acceptance of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the DRC saw women’s experience of domestic violence fall from 69% to 29% after two years of intervention – a drop of 58%.

Women’s experiences of sexual violence from a non-partner also reduced from 24% to 4% – a more than five-fold reduction.

Supported by UK aid, NGOs Tearfund and Heal Africa trained faith leaders and community volunteers in 15 rural and conflict-affected areas in Ituri province to challenge harmful attitudes which drive gender inequality, and to make violence against women and girls socially unacceptable in their communities.

The faith leaders were trained to speak to people in their communities about the issue and were encouraged to raise the subject in sermons, prayer groups and youth groups.

Engaging with both men and women to challenge their traditional attitudes about gender and violence was key to achieving these results. At the start of the research, more than 50% of men and 43% of women surveyed said there are times when a woman deserves to be beaten. By the end, this proportion almost halved.

As well as women experiencing less domestic violence, the percentage of men reporting that they had carried out domestic violence dropped from 68% to 24%.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

Shockingly, one in three women are beaten or sexually abused during their lifetime, making violence against women and girls one of the most widespread human rights violations in the world.

But this evidence shows it can be stopped, by working with local communities to challenge outdated attitudes about gender and violence.

Every woman and girl deserves the right to live without fear. That’s why UK aid is investing in the largest global study of its kind, to provide the evidence needed to help governments and international organisations end this abuse, save lives and build a better future for everyone.

The DRC project was part of the What Works to Prevent Violence Initiative. What Works is a flagship research programme from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which is investing in projects around the world that seek to understand and address the underlying causes of violence and stop it from occurring.

During humanitarian emergencies, including conflict, violence against women and girls can become more common and severe. It is estimated that one in five displaced or refugee women are subjected to sexual violence – 2014 research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Veena O’Sullivan, Head of Thematic Support Team, Tearfund said:

Even in the most challenging of circumstances, we can never underestimate the potential to achieve change. To end violence against women and girls, we must make the connection between violence and harmful attitudes and norms on gender. These are attitudes held by both men and women, so engaging the whole community is key.

Faith leaders in conflict affected communities in Ituri (Eastern DRC) have done just that as evident in this brief. This project has shown that this change is possible, and it’s exciting that Tearfund’s model for engaging faith leaders and communities works in tackling violence against women and girls.

These results demonstrate VAWG can be tackled effectively even in conflict-affected settings, and that faith and other local leaders can play an important part in achieving this. The DRC is a vast country affected by years of protracted conflicts which have left millions of people living in unstable circumstances and lacking access to basic necessities.

Religious institutions are, however, often respected, and faith leaders can play an important role in influencing people’s views, including on gender and violence.

Notes to editors

What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls

• The UK is a world-leading investor in research on the prevention of violence against women and girls (VAWG).
• What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls is a flagship programme from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), which is investing in projects around the world that seek to understand and address the underlying causes of violence, to stop it from occurring and find interventions that can be taken to scale.
• The DRC project is one of UK aid-funded 15 pilots across 12 countries in Africa and Asia to research ways to prevent VAWG in different contexts – the largest ever study of its kind.
• Psychosocial support was also offered provided for survivors of violence, including access to medical treatment.
• The evidence from these pilots shows that interventions tackling values and behaviours – in homes, schools, and communities – can achieve significant reductions in just a few years.
• UK aid is generating rigorous evidence that can be shared with other governments, donors and civil society organisations to encourage more effective global action to prevent violence.
• What Works consists of three complementary components: 1. The Global Programme – the Global Programme conducts research, evaluations of existing interventions, and supports innovation in programming through a scheme of dedicated grants from UK aid. 2. Violence Against Women and Girls in Conflict and Humanitarian Crises – this is focused on developing research and evidence to fill gaps in knowledge about what interventions work to prevent and respond to violence in politically fragile and conflict-affected areas. 3. Economic and Social Costs of Violence Against Women and Girls – this is focused on the estimation of social and economic costs of violence against women and girls, developing the economic case for investing in prevention.

Department for International Development Press Contact: Hannah Zainuddin, h-zainuddin@dfid.gov.uk, 0207 023 0116, 0207 023 0600.

What Works Press Contact: Rebecca Ladbury, rebecca@ladburypr.com, 07941224975

Tearfund

• Tearfund is a Christian relief and development agency and a member of the Disasters’ Emergency Committee. Founded in 1968, Tearfund has been working around the world for more than 50 years responding to disasters and helping lift communities out of poverty. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.

• For further information or interviews please contact: Sarah Baldwin on 07776211518 or contact the Tearfund Media Team on 0208 943 7792. For out of hours media enquiries please call 07710 573749.