Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the current estimated IOC date for HMS Venturer.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The first Type 31 frigate, HMS Venturer, is scheduled to be handed over to the Royal Navy by the end of the decade.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the total budget for NHS Resolution, in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.
Information on NHSR’s revenue funding streams and planned expenditure for 2025/26 can be found in its Resolution through collaboration: 2025/26 business plan, available at the following link:
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much was spent by the NHS in England on settling medical negligence claims, in 2025-26.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have interpreted this request to mean total payments spent on clinical negligence claims. NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England, and it publishes data for payments made under their clinical schemes in its Supplementary Annual Statistics, available at the following link:
https://resolution.nhs.uk/resources/annual-statistics/
The data includes the damages and legal costs paid up until 31 March 2025. The data for 2025/26 will not be available until later in 2026. Sheets 1 and 2 provide payments totals for each financial year, for clinical claims by damages value band and specialty. Payments include those raised against both claims that were closed or open at the end of each financial year.
Payments for clinical negligence claims can relate to incidents which occurred many years ago, and so payments for one claim can occur over multiple years. This may include interim payments made in any year before settlement or in the year of settlement. It may also include final compensation payments or periodical payments of damages in the year of settlement or years after settlement. It does not include future periodical payments on settled claims that are due after the end of 2024/25.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the total expenditure of the NHS on medical negligence claims in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have interpreted this request to mean total payments spent on clinical negligence claims. NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England, and it publishes data for payments made under their clinical schemes in its Supplementary Annual Statistics, available at the following link:
https://resolution.nhs.uk/resources/annual-statistics/
The data includes the damages and legal costs paid up until 31 March 2025. The data for 2025/26 will not be available until later in 2026. Sheets 1 and 2 provide payments totals for each financial year, for clinical claims by damages value band and specialty. Payments include those raised against both claims that were closed or open at the end of each financial year.
Payments for clinical negligence claims can relate to incidents which occurred many years ago, and so payments for one claim can occur over multiple years. This may include interim payments made in any year before settlement or in the year of settlement. It may also include final compensation payments or periodical payments of damages in the year of settlement or years after settlement. It does not include future periodical payments on settled claims that are due after the end of 2024/25.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the salary band for the Chief Executive of the NHS East of England, in 2026-27.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
There is no Chief Executive for NHS East of England in the current organisational structure. Currently the members of East of England senior management team consists of regional Executive Senior Managers (ESMs).
The ESM pay framework describes the salaries of the most senior health leaders in the Department’s arm’s length bodies, the pay bands, which are based on grade, are available at the following link:
https://faq-hrss.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-23569/en-us
Regional Directors are graded at ESM3 level.
The change programme to implement the new Model Region operating model is currently underway. As part of this programme, it is proposed that the Regional Director role will be retitled as Regional Chief Executive. NHS England will respond to the consultation on this proposed change in due course.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the salary band for the recently appointed Chief Executive of the Mid & South Essex NHS Hospitals Trust, in 2026-27.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Very Senior Managers (VSM) pay framework was published in May last year and sets out the Government’s policy for senior manager remuneration. The framework aims to align the pay approach for all National Health Service organisations in England to create consistency and transparency.
The VSM framework includes pay ranges for integrated care boards (ICBs) and provider trusts, determined by population and turnover. Appointments which exceed the agreed pay thresholds and are not in line with VSM framework are submitted to the Department for approval.
The pay case for the recently appointed Chief Executive of the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust was approved by NHS England as it was routine case. The VSM framework outlines that the Chief Executive would be a ‘Level 1’ pay range as the overall accountable officer, with different pay bands based on organisation turnover. Based on turnover, the Mid and South Essex Hospital Trust is Band E. Further information on the minimum, operational maximum, and exception zones and can be viewed at the following link:
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB) has ever ben tasked with investigation of the potential effects of engine oil or lubricants seeping into the cabin air on passenger airliners.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our priority is always the safety of passengers and crew, and we continue to work with industry and regulators to drive improvements in safety standards. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has investigated fume events on aircraft, including research into the sources of fumes and their potential effects, and raised safety recommendations to address the issue of potential incapacitation of flight crew from such fume events.
Fume and smoke events must be reported as part of the UK Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Regulation. Such reports are analysed by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) airworthiness department specialists to inform policy and the scientific literature on toxicology of fume events is under continuous review by colleagues in the CAA’s Medical Department.
The CAA website includes a detailed overview of the research that has been undertaken on the topic and the conclusions of a recent study commissioned by my department and undertaken by the Committee on Toxicity (COT). This found that the levels of chemical contaminants reviewed in aircraft cabin air are unlikely to cause adverse health effects following acute or long-term exposures. The CAA continues to monitor developments and remains receptive to any new peer-reviewed published research or technological innovation.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research her Department has conducted into the potential effects of engine oil and lubricants leaking into the cabin air on passenger airliners.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Our priority is always the safety of passengers and crew, and we continue to work with industry and regulators to drive improvements in safety standards. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has investigated fume events on aircraft, including research into the sources of fumes and their potential effects, and raised safety recommendations to address the issue of potential incapacitation of flight crew from such fume events.
Fume and smoke events must be reported as part of the UK Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Regulation. Such reports are analysed by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) airworthiness department specialists to inform policy and the scientific literature on toxicology of fume events is under continuous review by colleagues in the CAA’s Medical Department.
The CAA website includes a detailed overview of the research that has been undertaken on the topic and the conclusions of a recent study commissioned by my department and undertaken by the Committee on Toxicity (COT). This found that the levels of chemical contaminants reviewed in aircraft cabin air are unlikely to cause adverse health effects following acute or long-term exposures. The CAA continues to monitor developments and remains receptive to any new peer-reviewed published research or technological innovation.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many F-35B aircraft have now been delivered by Lockheed Martin to the Ministry of Defence.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
48 have now been delivered by Lockheed Martin to the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the first of the recently ordered 72 RCH 155mm artillery systems is due to achieve initial operational capability.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
In line with the Integrated Procurement Model, the UK’s Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH155) programme will deliver a Minimum Deployable Capability (MDC) within this decade. This capability is defined as a Royal Artillery Battery equipped with RCH155 platforms, having completed the necessary specialist training. As a minimum, the system will have an appropriate peacetime safety case to enable training on UK ranges, preparing the sub-unit for potential operational deployment.
The current acquisition cost for the RCH155 programme is estimated to exceed £1 billion. This figure comprises the £52 million Early Capability Demonstrator contract awarded in December 2025 in addition to the £53 million Long Lead Item contract let in March 2025, and the UK’s series production contract announced on 13 May 2026. The estimated Whole Life Cost of procuring and supporting a fleet of 72 RCH155 systems is expected to exceed £3 billion over the currently projected 25-year service life.