The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Drones (‘APPG’) was founded in October 2012. The purpose of our Group is:

To examine the use of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) by governments, for domestic and international, military and civilian purposes.

Details about the aims and objectives of the APPG, and current focus areas, can be found on our About us page. The Group has 66 Members of Parliament. It is chaired by Adam Holloway MP (Con) and Baroness Stern (CB). Founder and former chair Tom Watson MP (Lab) is Honorary President. For the latest update on our work, please see here. 

We hold meetings that serve to inform and engage parliamentarians on the use of this technology in areas of interest to members. These meetings are invitation only, but notices are sent out externally via our mailing list [link]. 

We use parliamentary processes to try and increase transparency and accountability for the use and impact of drones in diverse military and civil contexts, and contribute towards emerging policy. A table collating the responses to written questions can be found on the Parliamentary Questions page. Members have contributed to relevant debates in both Houses, and participated in several inquiries and consultations critiquing aspects of drone use by (or on behalf of) public bodies, the legal frameworks that apply, and public access to information. The Group has submitted seven Early Day Motions to highlight areas of concern and help move debate forward both in and outside Westminster.

We work with a range of civil society organisations, who undertake research, monitoring and advocacy on the increasing use of drones by the UK and elsewhere. Our partners’ websites, with links to work undertaken in this field, can be found here [link].

The APPG is generously supported by grants from the Foundation Open Society Institute (in cooperation with the Human Rights Initiative of the Open Society Foundations) and has been funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, The Persula Foundation and the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation previously. We are also grateful to a wide range of external academics and experts who have provided input into our work on a pro bono basis.