Catch up on articles from the world of science you may have missed from October and November 2020. This month we take a look at the new Hyperloop transport system, and the recent discovery of water on the moon.
Documents to download
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Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Bill [HL] (214 KB, PDF)
At the outset of the short 2019 session, the Government undertook to introduce an aviation bill to “provide for the effective and efficient management of the United Kingdom’s airspace”. This commitment was repeated following the December 2019 general election. The Government has explained the main objectives of the bill’s three substantive parts. In summary, these would:
- confer new government powers to direct an airport or other relevant body to prepare and submit a proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to change the design of airspace;
- modernise the licensing framework for air traffic control; and
- confer new powers for police and prison authorities to tackle the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft (UA). This would include drones and model aircraft. These powers include the ability to require a person to land UA and enhanced stop and search powers when UA-related offences are suspected.
The provisions in the bill would extend and apply to the whole of the UK. Whilst civil aviation (including airspace) is a reserved matter, the UA provisions are subject to legislative consent from the Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.
Many of the proposals contained in the bill have been the subject of government consultations. Those concerning new powers to direct individual air change proposals and to update the air traffic licence process were welcomed by a majority of respondents. In addition, a majority of respondents were reported to have expressed support for a new police power to request evidence in cases of suspected UA misuse. Support for extending stop and search powers to include cases involving UA was more qualified. The Government has noted that the consultation in which this issue was raised predated the high-profile UA disruption at Gatwick Airport in December 2018.
Documents to download
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Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Bill [HL] (214 KB, PDF)
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The House of Lords is due to consider two related statutory instruments on 26 November 2020. Along with a third order, the instruments amend orders from 2019 which made provision for ‘Operation Brock’. This is a planned system to manage heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) traffic in Kent when there are delays in exporting goods from Great Britain (GB) to the EU after the transition period. This article examines what the 2020 orders do and why they are being made.
