Mark Francois MP: written questions 2025
453 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Aerospace Industry: Small BusinessesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48853More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Civil Aviation Authority is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises to test innovative aerospace technologies that require exemptions from standard Civil Aviation Authority boundarie
Answer: The Department through its Future of Flight programme and support for Jet Zero technology is working with the CAA to enable testing of innovative aerospace technologies by mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This includes:Introducing a new “...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the defence sector with (a) high costs and (b) limited access to suitable facilities for (i) developing and (ii) tes
Answer: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are a vital part of the UK defence supply base, contributing to growth through high-skilled jobs and dual use technology. We are supporting their competitiveness through investment from the National Security Strat...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Aviation Authority: RegulationMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to streamline the permissions process for small and medium-sized enterprises for testing new defence capabilities that fall outside Civil Aviation Authority regulations.
Answer: The Military Aviation Authority (MAA) as the air safety regulator for the Defence Air Environment sets the regulatory framework for Air System Test activity. It continues to support the Ministry of Defence’s ambitions, and has reorganised, upskilled and d...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Firing RangesMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48369More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to Ministry of Defence test ranges for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) small and medium-sized enterprises without a sponsor from his Department
Answer: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make a vital contribution to economic growth and are a valuable source of technical innovation in defence. This is recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent, as well as the Department’s Social Va...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48368More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether he plans to report to Parliament on the programme of resettl
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to his previous Question, 48365.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48367More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether his Department has conducted a risk assessment on the possib
Answer: There will be robust security provisions to protect the base, including a robust mechanism and review process to ensure no activity in the other islands can impinge upon base operations, as well as a prohibition on the presence of foreign security forces ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48366More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, what vetting process will be used to determine participation in the
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to his previous Question, 48365.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 28 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48365More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 46691 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether resettlement will be limited to the Chagossian diaspora; and
Answer: This agreement will enable Mauritius to develop a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia. The terms of resettlement will be for Mauritius to determine.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTerrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47620More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has committed to restoring the Loughall inquest since his meeting with Loughall Truth on 24 March 2025.
Answer: The Government is committed to repeal and replace the almost universally opposed - and in many respects, unlawful - Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023. As part of this commitment, the Government has been consistently clear th...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023Northern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47619More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which (a) veterans groups and associations and (b) other stakeholder groups his Department consulted before deciding to not to continue the Supreme Court appeal on the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy a
Answer: In the Dillon and Others case, the Northern Ireland High Court made a number of section 4 Human Rights Act declarations of incompatibility in respect of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. The Government takes its human rig...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTerrorism: Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47618More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has made an assessment of the value for money of the cost of public inquires on Troubles-related legacy issues in Northern Ireland in the context of the Northern Ireland Troubles (
Answer: The Northern Ireland Office works closely with His Majesty's Treasury to ensure value for money for the tax payer on all of the policies it delivers, including public inquiries.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNorthern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023Northern Ireland OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47617More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to review the decision not to continue the appeal against the Northern Ireland High Court’s declaration of incompatibility regarding sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (
Answer: The High Court found sections 46 and 47 of the Legacy Act to be incompatible with the UK’s international human rights commitments. This Government takes such matters extremely seriously, and the provisions therefore need to be repealed. The Government is ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordKneecap: CompensationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he had discussions with Cabinet colleagues prior to the decision not to contest a compensation payment to the band Kneecap following their exclusion from the Music Export Growth Scheme.
Answer: There were no discussions with Cabinet colleagues prior to the decision by the Secretary of State for Business and Trade not to contest the claim brought by Kneecap for review of the decision not to award them a grant under the Music Export Growth Scheme.
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Chagossian diaspora in (a) the Seychelles, (b) Mauritius and (c) other areas are actively (i) consulted and (ii) included in decisi
Answer: The negotiations were between the UK and Mauritius with our priority being to secure the continued security of and full operation of the base on Diego Garcia. However, we have worked hard to ensure this agreement reflects the importance of the islands to ...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Written QuestionsMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 41390 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty tabled by the hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford on 26 March 2025.
Answer: I responded to the right hon. Member on 23 April 2025.
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: RadarMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to replace the Multi-role Electronically Scanned-Array radar on the E-7A Wedgetail fleet with a US-developed replacement.
Answer: There are no plans to replace the existing Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array radar currently fitted on the UK E-7 Wedgetail Fleet.
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Agreements: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security held discussions on (a) UK-China trade relations, (b) economic security and (c) any (i) existing and (ii) proposed commercial agreements duri
Answer: During my visit to China, I held frank and honest discussions with my counterparts on the opportunities and challenges in the bilateral trade relationship, including improving overall reciprocity in market access, raising UK concerns on level playing fiel...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHuman Rights: ChinaDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security had discussions with his international counterpart on (a) the detention of Jimmy Lai and (b) human rights abuses during his recent visit to C
Answer: During my recent visit to China and Hong Kong, I raised the UK’s concerns over human rights abuses, including in Xinjiang and the detention of Jimmy Lai with counterparts at the Ministry of Commerce and the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrati...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: Visits AbroadMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45468More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department (a) authorised and (b) requested the Chief of Defence staff's recent meeting with representatives of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
Answer: The Chief of the Defence Staff’s meeting was arranged between the UK’s Ministry of Defence and China’s Office for International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission. It was authorised by His Majesty’s Government.
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: Visits AbroadMinistry of DefenceTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45467More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Chief of Defence Staff discussed the Chagos Islands base during his recent visit to China.
Answer: The Chief of the Defence Staff met with Gen Liu Zhenli Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Liberation Army. They discussed a range of security issues and agreed that in an unstable world we must ...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordImport Duties: USADepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45466More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Request for input on potential UK measures in response to US tariff, whether (a) lethal and (b) non-lethal police firearms are classified as militar
Answer: We encourage responses to the request for input from all organisations that think their imports could be affected by any potential UK tariffs on a particular commodity code.Lethal and non-lethal firearms under CN 93039000 are not classified as military we...
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45465More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received formal representations from the Government of Mauritius on additional financial compensation under the proposed Chagos Islands agreement.
Answer: The overall quantum of the cost of the deal has not changed from what was originally negotiated under the previous Mauritian Prime Minister.
Answered 24 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44919More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any revised financial commitments related to the Chagos negotiations will be included in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Answer: The FCDO and the MOD are the lead departments for this agreement. Any financial obligations, including departmental budgetary responsibilities, will be managed responsibly within the government’s fiscal framework through the upcoming Spending Review.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44918More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department plans to retire the Royal Air Force’s MQ-9A Reaper drones; and whether he plans to donate any of those drones to Ukraine.
Answer: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2025 to Question 38649.There are no plans to donate any MQ-9A Reaper Remotely Piloted Air Systems to Ukraine.
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordStrategic Defence Review: Public AppointmentsMinistry of DefenceTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 44917More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there have been any amendments to the (a) duration, (b) remuneration and (c) other contractual terms of the six additional senior-level experts added to the Strategic Defence Review team since the commenc
Answer: The six leading figures supporting the external reviewers continue to support the delivery of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The SDR-which will be published in the Spring-will ensure the United Kingdom is both secure at home and strong abroad, now an...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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