Mark Francois MP: written questions
604 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Merlin Helicopters: Early Warning SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned out of service date for the Royal Navy's Crowsnest AEW helicopter system is.
Answer: The CROWSNEST programme delivers the Royal Navy's Merlin Mark2 helicopter Airborne Surveillance and Control capability, which includes Airborne Early Warning. There has been no change to the current out of service date, and the planned retirement date rem...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated whole-life cost is of the E-7 Wedgetail programme.
Answer: The estimated whole life cost of the E-7 Wedgetail remains subject to approval of the Full Business Case.
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: RadarMinistry of DefenceTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25650More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many radar units for the E-7 Wedgetail have been delivered to (a) Boeing and (b) the RAF by Northrop Grumman.
Answer: Three Multi-Role-Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radars have been delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the UK production facility.The remaining two MESA radars are in production with Northrop Grumman and will be delivered to the RAF in Summer 202...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7Ministry of DefenceTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25649More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the E-7 Wedgetail is in operational service with the RAF.
Answer: The Wedgetail aircraft has yet to enter operational service.
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: ProcurementCabinet OfficeTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25648More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority's annual report 2023-24, last updated 17 January 2025, for what reason the E-7 Wedgetail programme has received a Red rating.
Answer: Compared to the end of financial year 22/23, in the final quarter of 23/24 the Infrastructure and Project Authority's (IPA) Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating for E-7 Wedgetail decreased from Amber to Red. This was primarily due to affordability ...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24421More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role Price Waterhouse Coopers have been assigned in assisting with the financial management of the Mid & South Essex NHS Hospitals Trust; how long this task has been assigned for; what the cos
Answer: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) received a direct award to undertake a nationally mandated Investigation and Intervention programme at the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, to support it in delivering its financial plan.The programme lasted eight we...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: EqualityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24420More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many equality, diversity and inclusion managers are employed by the Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust.
Answer: The Department does not hold the information requested.
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: MediaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24419More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) communications and (b) media staff are employed by Mid & South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust.
Answer: The Department does not hold the information requested.
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: PayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24418More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the salary bands are for the Managing Director of (a) Southend Hospital, (b) Basildon Hospital and (c) Broomfield hospital; and when the people in these roles were appointed.
Answer: The Department does not hold the information requested. Information on the renumeration and biographies of senior staff are published by hospital trusts as part of their annual report and accounts. This information for the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Tr...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust: PayDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24417More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the salary bands are for the (a) Chief Executive, (b) Chief Operating Officer, (c) Finance Director and (d) Medical Director at Mid & South Essex Hospitals NHS Trust.
Answer: Information on the renumeration of senior staff is published by hospital trusts as part of their annual report and accounts. This information for the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust is available at the following link:https://www.mse.nhs.uk/trust-publi...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces and Defence EquipmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for publishing his Department's annual statistics on armed forces equipment and formations.
Answer: The UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2024 publication has been delayed due to a data quality review and has a provisional release date of February 2025. This is stated in the Statistics release calendar: UK armed forces equipment and formations 20...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces and Defence EquipmentMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the annual armed forces equipment and formations statistics was not published on 31 October 2024.
Answer: The UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations 2024 publication has been delayed due to a data quality review and has a provisional release date of February 2025. This is stated in the Statistics release calendar: UK armed forces equipment and formations 20...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22888More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21267 on Defence: Procurement, what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the NATO test once implemented; and with what metrics.
Answer: Implementation work is ongoing and will conclude as soon as possible. The detail on metrics or evaluation remains under active consideration, but the work overall is being conducted under close oversight by the Permanent Secretary and Ministers, including...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21267 on Defence: Procurement, when he plans full implementation of the NATO test across all his Department's procurement decisions.
Answer: Implementation work is ongoing and will conclude as soon as possible. The detail on metrics or evaluation remains under active consideration, but the work overall is being conducted under close oversight by the Permanent Secretary and Ministers, including...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego GarciaCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22256More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 20932 on Diego Garcia, what his planned timetable is to publish details of the Prime Minister’s meetings between July and December 2024.
Answer: Details of ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: Chemical WeaponsMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of alleged reports that Russia has used chemical weapons in Ukraine .
Answer: The Ministry of Defence continues to assess and monitor the evolving threat picture in Ukraine, including illegal Russian use of chemicals as a method of warfare. Russia has publicly admitted to the use of Riot Control Agents (RCAs) on the battlefield aga...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordVeteransMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16769 on Veterans, whether his Department is taking steps to gather the data required to estimate the number of veterans who are (a) eligible for Pension Cred
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is already working across Government to improve data collection on veterans. At this time, we do not have data to enable us to make an estimate on the number of veterans who are eligible for pension credit and have an income of les...
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordVeteransMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21272More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16769 on Veterans, if he will review his Department's data collection processes to enable it to make an estimate of the number of veterans who are (a) eligibl
Answer: The Ministry of Defence is already working across Government to improve data collection on veterans. At this time, we do not have data to enable us to make an estimate on the number of veterans who are eligible for pension credit and have an income of les...
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFleet Solid Support Ships: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any part of the final assembly of the Fleet Solid Support ships is planned to take place in Spain under the revised Harland and Wolff contract.
Answer: The Government has worked closely with Navantia UK (Prime Contractor) on the future of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme and agreed with them the minimum changes to the contract necessary - on commercial terms - to ensure its continued delivery. Thi...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21270More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the content is of his response of 16 December 2024 to the Mauritian counterproposals to the UK/Mauritius draft agreement.
Answer: In a joint statement on 20 December, both the UK and Mauritius committed to finalising an agreement on the exercise of sovereignty over BIOT/Chagos as quickly as possible. It would not be appropriate to give a running commentary of ongoing engagement with...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFleet Solid Support Ships: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21269More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total figure is for the changes to the value of the contract with Harland and Wolff for the Fleet Solid Support ships.
Answer: The Government has worked closely with Navantia UK (Prime Contractor) on the future of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme and agreed with them the minimum changes to the contract necessary - on commercial terms - to ensure its continued delivery. Thi...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordFleet Solid Support Ships: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21268More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the in-service date for the fleet solid support ships has been impacted by the changes to the Harland and Wolff contract.
Answer: The Government has worked closely with Navantia UK (Prime Contractor) on the future of the Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme and agreed with them the minimum changes to the contract necessary - on commercial terms - to ensure its continued delivery. Thi...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 19 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 21267More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to implement a NATO test for major defence projects procurement.
Answer: We conducted a NATO test in the first 100 days of this Government.As part of that work we are implementing a NATO test for major procurement decisions by mandating that NATO should be considered in all Ministry of Defence investment business cases. This i...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego GarciaCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20932More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has had discussions with Philippe Sands KC on Diego Garcia since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk as part of the government’s transparency agenda.
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordIndia: MauritiusForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 20931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Indian government on (a) British Sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, (b) the operation of Indian base
Answer: The Foreign Secretary last spoke to Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on 25 November 2024 about a range of issues, including BIOT. UK officials also regularly engage with the Indian government about the agreement. Our primary goal in negotiation...
Answered 7 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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