Solar powered aircraft, ultra-efficient wings and medical treatment carrying drones are just some of the technologies backed by £273 million to advance low-carbon aerospace innovation, economic growth and jobs, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng will announce at the Farnborough International Airshow today (Monday 18 July).

The Aerospace Technology Institute estimates ATI Programme projects are set to secure 81,000 jobs, while contributing £97 billion of economic value to the UK. Today £155 million of joint government-industry funding has been announced to support new projects unlocking the latest in green aerospace innovation, such as hydrogen and battery technology, and ultra-efficient manufacturing processes and technologies, such as digital and additive manufacturing – generating further job opportunities and leads in emerging technologies and sectors.

A further £105.5 million of government-industry funding will be shared by projects focused on developing air transport systems and enabling new vehicle technologies through the Future Flight Challenge. The projects could create more than 8,800 jobs and include making motorways safer and improving journey times by using electric drones to survey hazards, to using electric drones to distribute medical treatments across Scotland, including to cancer patients.

The Business Secretary will also announce up to £12 million is to be made available through the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to back initiatives that could unlock industries of the future through regulation – from flying cars to vaccine-carrying drones. Finally, a Drone Ambition Statement has been published today, outlining how government and industry can work together to seize on drones’ potential £45 billion of benefit to the economy by 2030.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

The return of the Farnborough International Airshow after a four-year absence is a clear example of the aerospace and aviation sector’s recovery. Today’s package of support will further this recovery and help the sector seize on the enormous opportunities for growth that exist as the world transitions to cleaner forms of flight.

Through funding for the latest in green technology, such as solar and hydrogen powered aircraft, and setting out our vision for the fast-growing market for commercial drones, we are once again placing the aerospace sector directly at the centre of our plans to deliver jobs and grow the economy.

Among 31 Aerospace Technology Institute Programme competition winners, backed by £155 million of government-industry funding, are:

• High Density Aerospace Solar Power led by Microlink Devices UK – £6.7 million to secure a high-volume, highly automated manufacturing capability in solar cells for the UK that could be used on electric aircraft
• UToPEA led by Yasa – – £11.1 million to transfer knowledge of high-power, high-torque, super low weight electric motors and power electronics from premium automotive sector into the urban air mobility (electric air taxi) market. YASA’s aerospace division was spun-out as Evolito Ltd in 2021
• eXtra High Performance Wing led by Airbus – £19.9 million to develop ultra-wide span wings, providing significant performance benefits through weight reduction
• NGC3 led by Crompton Technology Group – £5.3 million to develop weight reduction components aimed at facilitating carbon composite wings

Through the Future Flight Challenge led by UK Research and Innovation, 17 projects will share £105.5 million in funding to develop and demonstrate integrated aviation systems and new vehicle technologies. The projects will work with the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure they are delivered safely and effectively. They include:

• Project HEART, based in Orkney and Bedford – £10 million to explore using aircraft powered by hydrogen or electricity to open up greener regional connectivity across the UK
• Open Skies Cornwall – £2.4 million to work with Royal Mail and NHS Kernow to use drones to provide residents on the Isles of Scilly with regular, reliable deliveries of mail and medical supplies
• CAELUS 2, based across Scotland – £10.1 million to use electric drones to support the distribution of medical products and medicines across Scotland, including helping to treat cancer patients in their local community, rather than requiring them to travel
• Skyway, based in Reading – £12.9 million to use drones to quickly and efficiently survey infrastructure, such as motorways and ports, reducing the need for costly transport system closures and improving delivery times

A new £12 million funding pot will be made available through the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to support bold initiatives by regulators and local authorities that enable the UK’s regulatory environment to keep pace with cutting-edge innovation. Bids for up to £1 million per project will open on 21 July.

Previous funding has supported development of a world-first regime for crash-protected containers that drones can use to carry sensitive goods such as vaccines and a project to unlock regulatory barriers to flying taxis.

Transport Minister Robert Courts said:

The steps we have set out today will ensure our aviation sector remains world-leading and fit for the future, helping to deliver on our ambitious climate change goals and boost high-skilled job opportunities.

Integrating drones into our transport system will play a huge part in better connecting communities, from potentially delivering vital NHS treatments in isolated communities to capturing high quality aerial imaging for rescue teams.

A Drone Ambition Statement has been produced in collaboration with the Drone Industry Action Group, outlining how the UK will embed a business environment that supports the development of drone technologies and can deliver 650,000 jobs in the sector by 2030. This will be achieved through government investments like those made today through the Future Flight Challenge, effective regulation, a consultation on enabling 5G connected drones for commercial use and improving public communications to underline the potential benefits of commercial drones.

The ATI Programme and Future Flight Challenge are key components of the government’s Jet Zero policy, which includes the Jet Zero Council, established to convene government, industry and academia, and jointly chaired by the Business Secretary and Transport Secretary. A final Jet Zero Strategy will be published this summer.

Government will also work with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which launches a new strategy “Destination Net Zero” tomorrow, to deliver the sector’s transition to greener forms of aviation.

The ATI Programme is a joint government and industry investment. Its purpose is to competitively offer funding for research and technology development in the UK, to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace. It is open to UK businesses of any size for research funding. Alongside the main Strategic Programme, it will also run 2 funding streams targeted at delivering tailored support and mentoring to SMEs.

Spending Review 2021 increased government funding for the ATI programme to £685 million.

Estimates of jobs secured and economic value by the ATI Programme are estimated and published independently by the ATI.

The Future Flight Challenge is investing up to £125 million to develop greener ways to fly, such as all-electric aircraft and deliveries by drone, by advancing electric and autonomous flight technologies. The investment is matched by £175 million from industry. The challenge aims to bring together technologies in electrification, aviation systems and autonomy to create new modes of air travel and capability

The Drone Ambition Statement outlines the following core components for delivery of a successful sector, including:

• government’s Future of Flight Plan and Future of Flight Industry Group in developing a pathway to new uses and users of aviation and airspace
• funding to ensure the UK supports and builds on the best of British drone technology, including through the Future Flight challenge, investing in and demonstrating new operating models and developing new frameworks to enable drone capabilities to thrive
• implementation of sector-specific skills and CPD programmes to support effective end-user drone adoption and integration
• supporting drone innovators in their ambitions to start-up and grow their businesses in the UK, and convening the Drone Industry Action Group to support collaboration between government and the drone community
• wider regulatory support to enable routine drone operations, including a well-resourced CAA and refreshed Airspace Modernisation Strategy, and an Ofcom consultation to deliver robust drone communications and connectivity aiming to enable 4G and, in time, 5G for commercial use
• active public outreach and communications underlining the positive potential uses for and benefits of commercial drones

• Courts to make offenders face their addictions, in boost to public protection
• Sentences to include intense supervision and testing to support rehabilitation
• Strong sanctions, including jail time, if offenders transgress

The first three ‘Problem-Solving Courts’ (PSCs) are being piloted as part of the Government’s £900-million Drug Strategy, based on evidence that this approach will most effectively turn such offenders away from crime and protect the public.

They will trial a tougher approach to community sentences for low-level criminals who would otherwise face short jail terms.

Under unique orders which can be issued by the PSCs, offenders will see the same judge at least once a month, have intense support and supervision from the Probation Service, and get wraparound services tailored to their individual needs – such as from substance misuse and recovery agencies, housing support and educational services.

They will also get treatment and undertake frequent, random drug testing where appropriate. Offenders will be offered the full range of treatment interventions to help them achieve abstinence.

The £8.25-million pilot will see two such courts launched at Liverpool and Teesside Crown Courts, while a further one at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court will focus on female offenders with complex needs, including substance misuse.

Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, Dominic Raab MP said:

Getting criminal offenders sustainably off drugs is the gateway to getting them into work and a law-abiding future.

Only once offenders are drug-free can they grasp the opportunities of skills training and employment and turn their backs on crime for good.

So these innovative courts will help us grasp the nettle of drug addiction, and make our streets safer.

Judges and magistrates sitting in the PSCs will use incentives such as relaxing conditions to recognise good progress, as well as sanctions, such as increased drug testing and court reviews, when behaviour fails to meet agreed standards. They can also jail offenders for failure to stick to their sentence by imprisoning them for up to 28 days, up to a maximum of three times.

Maria (not her real name) was sentenced to an 18-month Suspended Sentence Order and requirement to attend the Greater Manchester Women’s PSC, a precursor to the new pilot for women who offend. She said:

At first, I was worried about being judged, but it’s not like that – sentencers are supportive and want to keep you on the right path.

You have to want to change. But after you’ve made that decision it’s incredibly hard to do it on your own and that’s why things like probation and the PSC are so important, to keep you from slipping back.

Notes to editors

• The Government committed in the Sentencing White Paper to pilot up to five PSCs and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act Bill contained the necessary legislative provisions. Two courts are still under consideration.

• More people die every year as a result of drug misuse than from all knife crime and road traffic accidents combined. The total cost to society and taxpayers in today’s prices is nearly £22 billion.

• The Government is committed to increasing treatment and reducing crime in its 10-year Drugs Strategy – From harm to hope – which is backed by an additional £900 million of funding for enforcement, treatment and recovery, taking the total investment on combating drugs over the next three years to £3 billion. The Strategy focuses on three key priorities – reducing demand for drugs, delivering a world-class treatment and recovery system and breaking drug supply chains. The strategy is contributing to the prevention of three-quarters of a million crimes including 140,000 ‘neighbourhood’ crimes like theft robbery and burglary.

• A PSC has been trialled in Greater Manchester focussed on female offenders and 14 Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (FDACs), alternative family court for care proceedings, have achieved success at reducing substance misuse. A Lancaster University study found:

• 46% of FDAC mothers were no longer misusing substances by the end of proceedings, compared to 30% of comparison mothers, and

• 37% of FDAC families were reunited or continued to live together compared to 25% of comparison families

• Teesside and Merseyside have high levels of need. In 2020, the North East had the highest rate of deaths relating to drug misuse across England and Wales (104.6 deaths per million people) compared to the national rate of 52.3 deaths per million people, while the rate of deaths relating to drug misuse in the North West is 74.2 per million. A 2019 study by the Prison Reform Trust showed that rates of immediate custody per 100,000 women in the West Midlands (36 per 100,000) were higher than the overall rate for England and Wales.

• Previous impact evaluations have found that community sentences are effective in addressing offending behaviour.

The government has today (17 July 2022) published a new Aviation Passenger Charter, developed by government, industry, consumer and disability groups in partnership, outlining what passengers can expect if confronted with flight delays and cancellations this summer.

The charter has been designed to give passengers the confidence they deserve as they head for their summer holidays, and follows last month’s publication of the government’s 22-point plan to help the industry minimise disruption at airports and ensure holidaymakers and travellers can enjoy their well-deserved breaks.

The new Aviation Passenger Charter will act as a one-stop shop so passengers know their rights for their entire journey – from booking, travelling to and through the airport, during the flight and returning to the UK. 

It outlines what aviation passengers can reasonably expect from airlines, travel agents, tour operators and airports, and what do if things go wrong. This includes advice on what to do if flights are cancelled or delayed, or if baggage goes missing, as well as guidance on how to complain if passengers feel they have been treated unfairly.

The charter will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains as useful as possible for passengers, both over the busy summer period and beyond

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Passengers deserve reliable services, and to be properly compensated if things don’t go to plan, and the chaotic scenes we’ve seen at airports scenes we’ve seen at airports are unacceptable.

“The new charter will help to give UK passengers peace of mind as they enjoy the renewed freedom to travel, whether for holidays, business or to visit loved ones.

Our passenger charter builds on our 22 point plan to support the industry in backing holidaymakers and keeping disruption to a minimum this summer.

Disabled passengers and people with reduced mobility must receive the best possible service, and to be treated with respect and dignity so that aviation is accessible to everyone who wants to fly. The charter will ensure that disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility have immediate access to information about their rights and what to do if things go wrong.

The government will soon announce its response to its consumer policy reform consultation, which will outline how, together with industry and the aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority, it will bring real change for everyday aviation passengers.

Richard Moriarty, chief executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

It is important that we at the Civil Aviation Authority and wider industry continue to work together in the interests of consumers.

A part of that is how we improve the information they receive and making sure it is clear and concise to help support and improve their overall travel experience.

Earlier this month the government announced that mandatory aviation sector national security checks are being processed in record time, supporting the industry as it works to rapidly fill vacancies in the face of heightened demand for flights this summer.

97% of Accreditation Checks are being completed in around 5 days on average, with counter terrorist checks (CTC) in the aviation sector being processed in under 10 days on average. This is a reduction from the 20-day average turnaround for CTC checks in March, before the priority measures for aviation sector applications were introduced.

Last month the government announced a one-off ‘amnesty’ on airport slot rules, enabling airlines to plan ahead and avoid last-minute cancellations. This was provided as an exceptional measure while industry makes progress in recruiting necessary staff.

The measures are part of the government’s 22-point plan to help ensure passengers don’t face a summer of disruption, as it called on the industry to do everything within its power to ensure there is no repeat of the problems experienced at Easter and half term.

It sets out all of the measures the government is taking to support the aviation industry, including to help recruit and train staff, ensure the delivery of a realistic summer schedule, minimise disruption and support passengers when delays and cancellations are unavoidable.

• Government’s call for evidence has unveiled a link between loot boxes and gambling harms, as well as wider mental health, financial and problem-gaming harms
• Government calls on games companies to step up and improve protections for children as well as players of all ages from the risk of harm

Video games companies and platforms must do more to make sure children can not make in-game purchases – known as ‘loot boxes’ – without their parents’ consent, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said today.

Loot boxes are a type of in-game purchase in some video games. Players can purchase a loot box with real money to receive random items, including “power-ups” to help a player compete better in the game and cosmetic items, such as virtual clothing.

The call for evidence on loot boxes, launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in 2020, found that players who have purchased loot boxes may be more likely to experience gambling, mental health, financial and problem gaming-related harms. The risk may also be higher for children and young people.

To protect players, the Government is calling for the purchase of loot boxes to be made unavailable to children and young people unless they are approved by a parent or guardian.

Some games platforms, such as Xbox, have already taken steps to improve protections, such as including options that require parental permission for under-18s to spend money within games. The Government wants to build on this with strong protections for children across the entire games industry and will not hesitate to consider legislation if companies do not bring in sufficient measures to keep players safe.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

We want to stop children going on spending sprees online without parental consent, spurred on by in-game purchases like loot-boxes.

Games companies and platforms need to do more to ensure that controls and age-restrictions are applied so that players are protected from the risk of gambling harms. Children should be free to enjoy gaming safely, whilst giving parents and guardians the peace of mind they need.

Games companies and platforms should provide spending controls and transparent information to all players. Protections should support the minority of players who spend a disproportionate amount of money on loot boxes, and who may be at a greater risk of harm.

A new working group, convened by DCMS, will bring together games companies, platforms and regulatory bodies to develop industry-led measures to protect players and reduce the risk of harm.  This will include measures such as parental controls, and making sure transparent, accessible information is available to all players.

The call for evidence also found a need for better evidence to improve understanding of the positive and negative impacts of video games. The Government will launch a Video Games Research Framework to support this.

The UK has a world class video games industry which contributed £2.9 billion to the economy in 2019, growing hugely from £400 million in 2010. As the sector continues to innovate the Government is committed to supporting its growth, whilst also ensuring games can be enjoyed safely.

Dr Jo Twist OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Ukie said:

As a responsible industry, we have committed to exploring additional ways to support players and parents to build on our existing work developing and raising awareness of parental controls.

We look forward to engaging closely with the Government and other organisations in the working group and on the Video Games Research Framework.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, Chief Executive Officer, TIGA said:

TIGA believes that games businesses should aim to ensure that games are safe to use for all players. In 2020, TIGA formally adopted its 5 Principles for Safeguarding Players, designed to embody the spirit of the approach that games companies should adopt in operating their businesses within the UK. Children and young people should not be able to buy ‘loot boxes’ in video games without parental consent. TIGA also believes that vulnerable adults need to be protected against potential harms arising from loot boxes. TIGA looks forward to contributing to the DCMS’s planned working group to advance measures to protect players from potential harms.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The Government response is on gov.uk.
• The DCMS response considered over 32,000 responses to a player survey, 50 direct submissions, and an independent review of academic studies.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, ROKAF, General Jung Sang-hwa, signed the Terms of Reference document this morning at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

This arrangement establishes a series of Space Engagement talks to strengthen defence space co-operation, integrating space capabilities as defence partners. This cooperation will cover areas such as operational knowledge sharing, collaborative exercises and training, and personnel exchanges. It also sets out a mutual desire for the sharing of space-related information, through future information-sharing agreements.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, Chief of the Air Staff – Royal Air Force, said:

Space is critical to our security, our prosperity and our modern way of life. The UK and the Republic of Korea share the same determination to ensure that space is there for the benefit of all, so I look forward to the deep cooperation between UK Space Command and the ROKAF that this arrangement will enable.

General Jung Sang-hwa, Chief of Staff of the Air Force – Republic of Korea Air Force, said:

The two countries have pursued their common values, including democracy, multilateralism and human rights.

In addition, ROKAF and RAF jointly responded to various global issues through military cooperation, such as Air to Air Staff Talks.

Based on the SET established today, I am confident that cooperation and communication between the air forces will expand further into the space field.

Air Vice-Marshal Paul Godfrey, Commander – UK Space Command, said:

This agreement is the first step in developing UK Space Command’s relationship with the ROKAF Space Centre to ensure that space is safe and sustainable for future generations.

This arrangement contributes to the UK-Republic of Korea bilateral framework for closer cooperation, which was agreed by the UK Prime Minister and the President of the Republic of Korea at the NATO Summit in Madrid on 30 June 2022.

UK Space Command is the Defence lead for space operations, space workforce, and space capability. It’s a Joint Command, based at RAF High Wycombe, and staffed by personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force, alongside civil servants, and contractors.