Driverless cars, drones and a proposed first commercial spaceport for the UK will feature in the Queen’s speech.

The Department for Transport has said such cutting-edge technologies are crucial to the country’s economy and that its proposals, to be unveiled on Wednesday, will help deliver jobs.

Legislation will be introduced to enable driverless cars, already trialled in the UK, to be insured under ordinary policies. The government has said that the spaceport will be constructed by the end of the current parliament.

The self-driving car market is currently growing at 16% a year and could be worth up to £900bn worldwide by 2025, while the port is part of the government’s plan to raise revenues in the space sector from £12bn to £40bn by 2030, which would mean capturing about 10% of the sector worldwide.

Eight sites – six in Scotland and one each in England and Wales – are currently under consideration for the port, which could launch commercial satellites and tourists into space.

Artist’s impression of what a UK spaceport might look like. Photograph: Publicity image

The government previously said it could provide 100,000 jobs and that it would be ready by 2018, but the announcement gives the government another two years of leeway before operators including Virgin Galactic could potentially blast off from the chosen site.

The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “Driverless cars and commercial space flight might seem like something science fiction, but the economic potential of the new technology is huge and I am determined the UK gets maximum benefit.

“If we want to propel Britain’s economy into the modern age, and generate the jobs that will come with it, it is vital that the right rules are in place to allow new transportation to flourish. Having a long-term economic plan that really works for the country means putting in place legislation that puts us at the heart of the modern transport revolution.”

As part of the government’s ambitions for the UK space sector, it is also planning to secure low-cost access to space for the small and micro satellite industry and encourage potential investors in other space-related technologies.



It faces tough competition on the spaceport from overseas as four US states and 20 countries, including Sweden, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Spain, have advanced plans and major financial backing.

Britain is already well placed in the driverless car industry, partly because it is one of the European countries not to have ratified the 1968 Vienna convention on road traffic that stipulates a driver must be in the front seat of a car.

The vehicles are expected to dramatically reduce accidents and premiums, with some warning they could put the future of the motor insurance industry at risk.

The non-military drones industry could grow to more than $80bn (£55bn) by 2025, according to one analyst.

The DfT said it will explore ways to increase growth and innovation in the drone industry for private and commercial use.

Drone regulations in the UK are less strict than in the US, which could represent a commercial opportunity. But there have been calls for the government to tighten the rules after several near misses with aircraft. Concerns have also been raised about the impact of drones on privacy.