Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total cost to the public purse of establishing the National Armaments Director Group since March 2025; and what the breakdown of those costs are.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government is delivering the deepest defence reforms in over 50 years. On 31 March 2025 the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group was stood up – creating a new export to end acquisition system design to cut waste and fix the broken procurement system this Government inherited.
Andy Start was appointed interim NAD and had been acting as NAD since the NAD Group was stood up on 31 March 2025. He conducts, all of the responsibilities the Head of the NAD Group must, regardless of the fact he is an interim appointment.
To the end of August 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) expended £4.2 million in workforce costs on the establishment of the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. This expenditure was drawn from existing resource within MOD, and is not a net increase for the Department. This expenditure is broken down into Enabling Workstreams (£3.1 million) and Organisational Change (£1.1 million).
In addition, in the same period the Department spent £0.5 million on external assistance in support of the establishment of the NAD Group.
The NAD Group design phased is scheduled to conclude on 31 March 2026, at which point costing will be able to be confirmed.
The Department has incurred no additional cost as a result of operating the NAD Group under Andy Start.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has incurred additional costs as a result of operating the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group under an acting director rather than a permanent one.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government is delivering the deepest defence reforms in over 50 years. On 31 March 2025 the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group was stood up – creating a new export to end acquisition system design to cut waste and fix the broken procurement system this Government inherited.
Andy Start was appointed interim NAD and had been acting as NAD since the NAD Group was stood up on 31 March 2025. He conducts, all of the responsibilities the Head of the NAD Group must, regardless of the fact he is an interim appointment.
To the end of August 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) expended £4.2 million in workforce costs on the establishment of the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. This expenditure was drawn from existing resource within MOD, and is not a net increase for the Department. This expenditure is broken down into Enabling Workstreams (£3.1 million) and Organisational Change (£1.1 million).
In addition, in the same period the Department spent £0.5 million on external assistance in support of the establishment of the NAD Group.
The NAD Group design phased is scheduled to conclude on 31 March 2026, at which point costing will be able to be confirmed.
The Department has incurred no additional cost as a result of operating the NAD Group under Andy Start.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the costs of the design phase of the National Armaments Director Group; and when that phase is will conclude.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
This Government is delivering the deepest defence reforms in over 50 years. On 31 March 2025 the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group was stood up – creating a new export to end acquisition system design to cut waste and fix the broken procurement system this Government inherited.
Andy Start was appointed interim NAD and had been acting as NAD since the NAD Group was stood up on 31 March 2025. He conducts, all of the responsibilities the Head of the NAD Group must, regardless of the fact he is an interim appointment.
To the end of August 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) expended £4.2 million in workforce costs on the establishment of the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. This expenditure was drawn from existing resource within MOD, and is not a net increase for the Department. This expenditure is broken down into Enabling Workstreams (£3.1 million) and Organisational Change (£1.1 million).
In addition, in the same period the Department spent £0.5 million on external assistance in support of the establishment of the NAD Group.
The NAD Group design phased is scheduled to conclude on 31 March 2026, at which point costing will be able to be confirmed.
The Department has incurred no additional cost as a result of operating the NAD Group under Andy Start.
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, whether his Department received legal advice on the imminence of legal rulings under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Chagos Islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's position in relation to the UK-Mauritius treaty has been informed by legal advice throughout. The Government's legal position was set out on 22 May when the treaty was signed, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total costs incurred on Project MORPHEUS up to the decision to pause its original plans including a breakdown of expenditure on (a) development, (b) industry partnerships, (c) external advice and (d) sustainment activities.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It will take time to collate and review the information required to answer the hon. Member’s question. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the 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 he has made of the potential impact the pause in Project MORPHEUS on warfighter effectiveness; and what interim measures are in place to extend the service life of the BOWMAN system.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It will take time to collate and review the information required to answer the hon. Member’s question. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the 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 he has made of the factors which contributed to the delivery confidence assessment rating for the LETacCIS programme decreasing from amber to red between financial year 2023-24-Q4 and 2024-25-Q4; and what steps he is taking to address those factors.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It will take time to collate and review the information required to answer the hon. Member’s question. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 62175, when his Department plans to hold the next Ajax-specific event at Bovington to which journalists will be invited.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There are currently no Ajax specific events due to be held at Bovington to which journalists will be invited.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what measures are outlined in the pending Review Note to transition the Protector programme from red to green delivery confidence rating; and what (a) timelines and (b) oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure that programme achieves Full Operating Capability.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
A Protector Review Note will be produced after the results of the Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year, have been analysed. It is therefore not possible to provide a timetable for the Review Note approval at this time however, once approved it will provide a pathway to Full Operating Capability and support Red to Green delivery assessment confidence.
The delivery confidence assessment was assessed as Red by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, primarily due to the programme awaiting previous Review Note approvals.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the Protector programme has a red delivery confidence rating.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
A Protector Review Note will be produced after the results of the Defence Investment Plan, due to be published later this year, have been analysed. It is therefore not possible to provide a timetable for the Review Note approval at this time however, once approved it will provide a pathway to Full Operating Capability and support Red to Green delivery assessment confidence.
The delivery confidence assessment was assessed as Red by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, primarily due to the programme awaiting previous Review Note approvals.