Drones and their civilian uses are to be investigated by the House of Lords European Union (EU) sub-committee on the Internal Market, Infrastructure and Employment, which will report in March 2015.

The Lords is the second of the UK’s two legislative chambers that form part of its government and is unelected. According to the committee, safety, privacy, and drones’ economic benefits will be examined. 

Committee chairman Baroness O’Cathain says: “In the UK alone the number of permissions granted for civilian use of drones in congested areas went up 40 fold between 2006 and 2013.” The committee will accept written evidence until September. European Commission’s work on civil use of drones will also be studied. 

The committee will also focus on EU-wide standards and rules on safety; security controls to protect the drones themselves; insurance and liability implications for these robot aircraft; and support for new industry and research and development. The EU has already funded cargo drone studies.