Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) his US counterpart and (b) other international partners on the compliance of US military strikes on Iran with the United Kingdom’s obligations under international law; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of those strikes.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK did not participate in the US' strikes. The Foreign Secretary has been engaging with Secretary of State Rubio on a regular basis, to discuss the need for Iran to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible and to make progress on a lasting settlement, to address Iran's nuclear programme. The legal basis for the US' action is a matter for them.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the refit of RFA Lyme Bay on the operational capability of the Royal Marines; and what steps he is taking to ensure the Royal Marines’ amphibious capabilities are maintained until Multi-Role Support Ships enter service.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
RFA LYME BAY is undergoing routine planned maintenance to ensure continued sustainability for operations. Royal Marines operations continue to be supported by the remainder of the amphibious fleet. These ships will continue to support amphibious capabilities until the Multi Role Strike Ship enters service in the early 2030s.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Royal Air Force plans to (a) reconsider its procurement strategy and (b) evaluate the acquisition of the E-2D Hawkeye to replace or supplement its existing E-7 Wedgetail fleet, in the context of the US Air Force's decision to procure the E-2D Hawkeye instead of the E-7 Wedgetail for airborne early warning and control capabilities,.
Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence is continuing with its procurement of E-7 Wedgetail in order to meet the national and NATO requirements for an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) capability which is interoperable with its allies.
As highlighted in the Strategic Defence Review, AEWC aircraft provide significant advantages in warfighting, such as more persistent deep strike options.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for allowing parliamentary time for (a) scrutiny and (b) ratification of the UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consistently said that, once a deal was signed, we would lay it before the House for scrutiny in the usual way. That is exactly what we have done. Parliamentary business will be arranged in the usual way.
I have appeared before the IRDC/IAC on 17 June and the FAC on 23 June to discuss the agreement, I have also answered over a hundred written parliamentary questions on the Chagos Archipelago since 22 May.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to articles 6 and 11 of the document entitled UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), whether he has made an agreement with Mauritius for British Chagossians to access (a) the Trust Fund, (b) resettlement and (c) dual nationality.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ahead of ratification, the Government will make a ministerial Statement in both Houses providing a factual update on eligibility for resettlement and the modalities of the trust fund.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to appoint a new Chair of the Northern Ireland Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that veterans in Northern Ireland receive parity of support with veterans in other parts of the United Kingdom.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Ministry of Defence officials are currently working through the latest advice that the Veterans Advisory and Pension Committees have provided, for which I am most grateful. We are currently considering their functions and activity against wider Departmental priorities around veterans, which include the new VALOUR initiative, and recruitment remains paused for the present.
Regarding support for veterans residing in Northern Ireland, we continue to build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office, including enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, such as the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the ability of Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees to fulfil their statutory functions under the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Act 2023 prior to the commencement of the relevant provisions of that Act.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Ministry of Defence officials are currently working through the latest advice that the Veterans Advisory and Pension Committees have provided, for which I am most grateful. We are currently considering their functions and activity against wider Departmental priorities around veterans, which include the new VALOUR initiative, and recruitment remains paused for the present.
Regarding support for veterans residing in Northern Ireland, we continue to build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office, including enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, such as the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the recruitment of new members to the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees has been paused; and what plans he has to restart that process.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Ministry of Defence officials are currently working through the latest advice that the Veterans Advisory and Pension Committees have provided, for which I am most grateful. We are currently considering their functions and activity against wider Departmental priorities around veterans, which include the new VALOUR initiative, and recruitment remains paused for the present.
Regarding support for veterans residing in Northern Ireland, we continue to build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office, including enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, such as the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made on bringing forward regulations to implement the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Act 2023.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Ministry of Defence officials are currently working through the latest advice that the Veterans Advisory and Pension Committees have provided, for which I am most grateful. We are currently considering their functions and activity against wider Departmental priorities around veterans, which include the new VALOUR initiative, and recruitment remains paused for the present.
Regarding support for veterans residing in Northern Ireland, we continue to build on the effective collaborative between the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner’s Office, including enhancing partnerships with the wider veteran support system, such as the Thrive Together programme led by Brooke House.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take ensure that independent oversight is provided for the activities of the VALOUR Team; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of that oversight on tackling regional variations in support for veterans.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The structures and processes that will underpin VALOUR are currently being developed and will also be informed by lessons learned during the Northern pilot announced last week.
It will not be a service that is a blueprint for everyone, but we will take the geographical differences into account and ensure that it is fit for purpose so that our veterans are given the deal that they deserve. This will be an institutionally resilient system that will reform the system at the local, the regional, and the national level, ensuring that support is available across the country, and that it is tailored to the needs of veterans in the communities where they live.
As a Minister, I am accountable to Parliament for relevant veterans' issues including those led by the Ministry of Defence such as the delivery of VALOUR.