Mark Francois MP: written questions
461 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Diego Garcia: Radio FrequenciesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US and (b) legal advice he has received on the electromagnetic spectrum over Diego Garcia.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary and US Secretary of State had a phone call on 27 January where they discussed a range of shared UK/US priorities, including the long-term protection of the base on Diego Garcia. The Government, as anyone else, is entitled to receive ...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego Garcia: Radio FrequenciesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30053More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list all (a) discussions and (b) advice received by his Department from the International Telecommunication Union in relation to the UK's access to the electromagn
Answer: Ofcom remains responsible for the management of the electromagnetic spectrum in the UK. FCDO and Ofcom officials have regular discussions about a range of issues including BIOT. UKMIS Geneva regularly engages with ITU on a range of matters on behalf of HM...
Answered 26 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordOfficial Visits: MauritiusCabinet OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 30052More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the UK Government provided any (a) funding, (b) financial assistance or (c) official support for Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Mauritius in 2013.
Answer: The Prime Minister visited Mauritius in a private capacity in November 2013. This was after stepping down as Director of Public Prosecutions.
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRadio FrequenciesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29884More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the International Telecommunication Union has ever challenged the use of military spectrum by the (a) UK and (b) US.
Answer: Individual countries have the sovereign right to manage and use the radio spectrum, within their borders, the way they wish, subject to not causing interference with other countries. This right is recognised in the Radio Regulations. The Radio Regulatio...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordTelecommunications: ChinaDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the influence of China within (a) the International Telecommunication Union, (b) the Third Generation Partnership Proj
Answer: Upholding national security remains the first duty of this government. The UK takes an active role in organisations including the International Telecommunication Union and the Third Generation Partnership Project, to shape standards to serve innovation wh...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRadio FrequenciesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the International Telecommunication Union has ever challenged the use of civilian spectrum by the (a) UK and (b) US.
Answer: Individual countries have the sovereign right to manage and use the radio spectrum, within their borders, the way they wish, subject to not causing interference with other countries. This right is recognised in the Radio Regulations. The Radio Regulatio...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordRadio FrequenciesDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the International Telecommunication Union has legal authority over the allocation of (a) military and (b) civilian spectrums.
Answer: Individual countries have the sovereign right to manage and use the radio spectrum, within their borders, the way they wish, subject to not causing interference with other countries. This right is recognised in the Radio Regulations. The Radio Regulatio...
Answered 12 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29439More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much and what proportion of the capital expenditure promised to Basildon, Broomfield and Southend hospitals as part of their merger into Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has been (a) al
Answer: The trust was awarded £118.6 million as part of the National Health Service upgrades programme for the reconfiguration of hospital services across three acute sites, namely Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Southend Hospital in Southend, and Basildon Hos...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: EssexDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the merger of Basildon, Broomfield and Southend Hospital Trusts into the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
Answer: The merger of Basildon, Broomfield, and Southend Hospitals in 2020 set out to improve health outcomes for the local population and unlock the financial savings required to deliver a sustainable health economy across the mid and south Essex footprint.Mid a...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS England: East of EnglandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 26430 on NHS England: Staff, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by NHS East of England Headquarters in (a) 2021, (b) 2022, (c) 2
Answer: The following table shows the number of budgeted full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, specifically the number of budgeted posts rather than the number of staff currently employed, and the pay budget for NHS England East of England, each year from 2021/22 to ...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS Trusts: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29422More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27117 on Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: Finance, what guidance his Department issues on the management steps that NHS Acute Trusts s
Answer: As part of the Oversight Framework, which is currently being refreshed, NHS England closely monitors the financial performance of providers and systems, intervening and providing support where there is concern about a risk of overspending against agreed p...
Answered 14 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS England: PayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, what the difference is between (a) operational max and (b) max exception zones in NHS Executive Senior Manager pay b
Answer: The operational maximum is the maximum salary rate NHS England can appoint without seeking permission from the Department. Salaries above the operational maximum require as a minimum approval from the Department’s Renumeration Committee, and depending on ...
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordMinisters: Peers' InterestsCabinet OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29420More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on the disclosure of past earnings for members of the Cabinet appointed from the House of Lords.
Answer: Information about the process by which ministers declare interests, including details of the categories of interest declared, is available in the introduction to the List of Ministers’ Interests published on Gov.uk
Answered 13 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 6 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 29419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) the International Telecommunication Union and (b) other UN agencies ceasing to recognise UK sovereignty over Britis
Answer: It is the Government's view that without a negotiated solution on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), Mauritius would inevitably have pursued a campaign to obtain a legally binding judgment against the UK. We could expect a bindi...
Answered 21 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCommonwealth: International Court of JusticeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28898More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has withdrawn the veto on the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice on disputes with countries that (a) are and (b) have been Commonwealth
Answer: The position around the International Court of Justice compulsory jurisdiction remains as per the UK's deceleration of 22 February 2017.
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28897More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what factors contributed to the Protector drone system's downgrade to a red rating in the IPA Annual Report 2023-24; what steps are being taken to mitigate significant cost increases and delays; and what the revi
Answer: The downgrade of Protector to a red rating was primarily driven by a delay to the approval of the Review Note, which is being considered as part of the ongoing Strategic Defence Review. There are no anticipated cost increases, and all costs captured withi...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28896More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department has incurred in legal costs on the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024.
Answer: It is not possible to provide a single figure for the amount the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has incurred in legal costs on the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024. Legal costs would include the costs of FCDO lawyers, who are paid sal...
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has engaged legal counsel from Matrix Chambers on the UK’s sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
Answer: The Department has not engaged legal counsel from Matrix Chambers on the Chagos sovereignty question.
Answered 21 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyTreasuryTabled 5 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28893More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made a value for money assessment of the Chagos Island deal.
Answer: HMT has been working with the FCDO and the MOD on this agreement. As the lead departments, responsibility for judging the value for money of any deal sits with the FCDO and the MOD, who must balance its commitments against wider priorities – as per the Ma...
Answered 11 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7Ministry of DefenceTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28473More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected Minimal Deployability Capability is for the E-7 Wedgetail.
Answer: The Wedgetail aircraft will be able to conduct operational tasking after entering service at Initial Operating Capability.Further details regarding the capability of Wedgetail are withheld as release would prejudice the capability, effectiveness or securi...
Answered 10 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego Garcia: Military BasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28472More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy that the proposed leaseback for Diego Garcia is renewable.
Answer: The existing policy is, and will remain, that the agreement will have a duration of 99 years from entry into force, extendable with the agreement of both parties and the first right of refusal.
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Chagos IslandsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28471More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 25990 on Cabinet Office: British Indian Ocean Territory, if the will make it his policy to publish costs of the Prime Ministe
Answer: The publication of the costs of the Prime Minister's Envoy are part of wider policy on Ministerial Appointments and the decision is not contingent on the conclusion of the agreement. The timing of the decision will not therefore be linked to that of the a...
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28470More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of conducting a national security impact assessment on the negotiated agreement with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands.
Answer: It has been our consistent priority to protect UK/US national security interests by ensuring the long-term effective and secure operation of the base on Diego Garcia. This agreement protects and secures those interests.
Answered 17 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 28469More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the projected financial commitments within the revised agreement with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands including adjustments for (a) inflation a
Answer: Once the treaty is signed it will be put before both Houses for scrutiny before ratification in the usual way.
Answered 25 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Bank ServicesMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 27513More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has received representations from small and medium-sized defence companies on difficulties in securing bank accounts.
Answer: The difficulties that smaller defence suppliers can have in accessing finance, including opening a bank account, have been raised with the Department and were recognised in the Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent published in December 2024. Ta...
Answered 5 Feb 2025
Original Parliament record
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