Mark Francois MP: written questions
604 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Type 26 Frigates: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33407More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Type 26 frigates the his Department plans to order from BAE Systems; and whether this number is still subject to the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.
Answer: The Strategic Defence Review will consider all Defence capability requirements in the context of current and future threats. The T26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver eight world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates. Al...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHMS GlasgowMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the IOC for the new Type 26 frigate, HMS Glasgow, remains October 2028.
Answer: On current plans the construction of all eight Type 26 frigates is expected to be complete by the mid-2030s. HMS Glasgow's Initial Operating Capability date remains October 2028.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordType 26 Frigates: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33405More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the latest estimated IOC date is for the last of class of the Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy.
Answer: On current plans the construction of all eight Type 26 frigates is expected to be complete by the mid-2030s. HMS Glasgow's Initial Operating Capability date remains October 2028.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordType 26 Frigates: NorwayMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33404More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to sell any of the Type 26 frigates currently on order for the Royal Navy, to Norway.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence and the Department for Business and Trade are actively supporting the promotion of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship design to other navies around the world with similar requirements.
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRFA Fort VictoriaMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33403More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for when RFA Fort Victoria will rejoin the active fleet.
Answer: RFA Fort Victoria is in a period of planned maintenance, which was delayed to prioritise higher priority outputs. We do not disclose the details of forward availability forecasts to preserve the operational security of the fleet, however I can confirm tha...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordFleet Solid Support Ships: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33402More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the agreement for Navantia UK to acquire Harland and Wolf will result in (a) delays and (b) cost increases for the Fleet Solid Support Ship contract.
Answer: The Government has worked closely with Navantia UK 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 the programme's continued delivery, with a min...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMerlin Helicopters: Early Warning SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33401More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for when the Crowsnest airbone early warning system will achieve Full Operating Capability.
Answer: The Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk2 Airborne Surveillance and Control helicopter, as delivered by the CROWSNEST programme, has been in service since March 2021. The Programme is in the final stages of delivery for Full Operating Capability - expected by 28 March ...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordStrategic Defence ReviewMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33400More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is to publish the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.
Answer: The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) is well underway, and the Reviewers are reporting regularly on progress to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Secretary of State for Defence. The Reviewers will make their final report in the Sp...
Answered 5 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33399More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with (a) the Chief Executive and (b) senior executives of Boeing on the E-7 Wedgetail programme.
Answer: Engagement with Boeing senior leadership continues with Ministers and wider Ministry of Defence leadership. The Secretary of State for Defence and I have held several engagements with senior Boeing representatives. In addition, the Chief Executive Officer...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason has the signature of the full business case for the E-7 Wedgetail programme been delayed.
Answer: The E7 Full Business Case is undergoing due consideration within the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) approvals process. The MOD operates a robust approvals process in accordance with HM Treasury's approvals control framework.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to purchase additional E-7 Wedgetail aircrafts.
Answer: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on the 25 July 2024 to Question UIN 432 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Luke Akehurst).
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBoeing E-7: RadarMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost to the public purse is of the five multi-role electronically scanned array radars as part of the E-7 Wedgetail programme.
Answer: The cost of procurement for the Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar is approximately £60 million each, therefore approximately £300 million in total. In March 2021, a decision was taken to reduce the numbers of E-7 Wedgetail platforms fro...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, what the total cost to the public purse will be of the UK defence budget in financial year (a) 2
Answer: This commitment will be funded by reductions in Overseas Development Aid to 0.3% of GNI and does not require the Government to change the spending envelope.HMT is currently undertaking the second phase of the Spending Review. This will set Departmental bu...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33394More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, what proportion of additional defence spending will be funded by transfers from the overseas aid bu
Answer: Tuesday’s announcement is fully funded - we are reducing ODA to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI to fund the additional spend required to ensure we spend 2.5% of GDP on defence spending in 2027-28.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33393More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, on what percentage of economic growth in the economy is the increase in Defence spending based.
Answer: The increase in defence spending is based on OBR forecasts of GDP growth. Further detail will be made available on 26 March alongside the OBR’s next forecast in the usual way.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceTreasuryTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33392More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, what steps the Government plans to take to fund the £13.4 billion annual uplift in defence funding beyon
Answer: £13.4bn represents the forecast increase in total NATO qualifying defence spending from 2024-25 to 2027-28. This increase comprises the reallocated ODA funding, as well as forecast increases to existing NATO qualifying spend over that timeframe.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33391More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any payments related to a Chagos Islands agreement will be funded from his Department's budget; and whether such payments will be front-loaded in the context of the Government’s commitment to spend 2.5% o
Answer: The terms of the treaty are still being finalised, once the treaty is finalised it will be put before Parliament for scrutiny in the usual way.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: EqualityMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on diversity and inclusion programmes relating to (a) employment, (b) pensions, (c) recruitment and (d) other matters since 4 July 2024.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to making the step changes required to create a more inclusive Defence environment. We continue to work hard to broaden the diversity of our workforce through actively engaging with employees to attract the ...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHMS Albion and HMS Bulwark: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32953More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total expenditure was on the refit of HMS Bulwark prior to its decommissioning; and what specific refit work remained incomplete at the time of HMS Albion’s decommissioning in July 2023.
Answer: The decision to decommission both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark was announced in November 2024. As of that date, a considerable amount of refit work was still outstanding to materially prepare HMS Bulwark for her return to sea. In the period from 2022 to 202...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordUN Convention on the Law of the SeaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the UK’s declaration on Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the jurisd
Answer: By Declaration dated 12 January 1998, the UK chose the International Court of Justice for the settlement of disputes concerning the interpretation or application of UNCLOS. By Declaration dated 7 April 2003 the UK exercised the right to exclude from compu...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHMS Albion and HMS Bulwark: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32951More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of decommissioning HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark on the UK’s amphibious warfare capability; and whether a replacement capability will be procured before their di
Answer: HMS Albion and Bulwark have been alongside since 2023 and 2017 respectively with no plans for them to return to sea before their out of service dates. Amphibious operations will continue to delivered by the Bay Class and RFA Argus until the introduction o...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHMS Bulwark: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what outstanding refit work remained on HMS Bulwark at the time of HMS Albion’s decommissioning in July 2023; and whether this work was completed before the decision to decommission Bulwark was taken.
Answer: The decision to decommission both HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark was announced in November 2024. As of that date, a considerable amount of refit work was still outstanding to materially prepare HMS Bulwark for her return to sea. In the period from 2022 to 202...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordMulti-role Support ShipsMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it remains his policy to implement the Multi-Role Support Ship programme; and what the timeline is for (a) its development and (b) the procurement of vessels.
Answer: The Multi-Role Support Ship programme is progressing through the Concept Phase. The Royal Navy and Defence Equipment & Support are conducting detailed work on key user requirements, conceptual designs, affordability, and exportability assessments. Alo...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHMS Albion and HMS Bulwark: DecommissioningMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32948More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the sale of (a) HMS Albion and (b) HMS Bulwark; and what the estimated market value of each vessel was at the time of decommissioning.
Answer: Due to commercial sensitivities, we are unable to disclose progress regarding the sale of HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark.
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: HealthMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32947More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of UK Regular Forces personnel were classified as (a) Medically Fully Deployable, (b) Medically Limited Deployable and (c) Medically Not Deployable as of 1 January 2025.
Answer: The table below presents the Medical Deployability Standard of UK Armed Forces personnel, broken down by Service, as at 1 January 2025. Medically Fully Deployable (MFD)Medically Limited Deployable (MLD)Medically Not Deployable (MND) n%n%n%All99,16278.1%...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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