Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he will publish the results of the consultation on proposed Local Government re-organisation in the County of Essex.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
A summary of the consultation responses will be published alongside the decision on which proposal, if any, is to be implemented for unitary local government in Essex, Southend and Thurrock.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what Chris Bowbrick's current role is.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It is usual Ministry of Defence policy not to comment on the individual HR status of individual employees. I provided an update to the House saying that the Ajax SRO was no longer in his current role. Given the situation it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this time.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the latest estimated date is for achieving Full Operating Capability on Ajax.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Safety investigations and a Ministerial Review into the Armoured Cavalry Programme (commonly known as Ajax) remain ongoing. However, on current plans, Full Operating Capability for the Armoured Cavalry Programme is still expected to be achieved by the end of 2029.
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 status of the proposed P4E electronic upgrade for the RAF's Typhoon fleet.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2025 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge) to Question 92198.
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 latest estimated in service date for the RCH 155 artillery system with the British Army.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Mobile Fires Platform Project, which will deliver the Remote‑Controlled Howitzer 155mm (RCH 155) wheeled artillery system, remains in its assessment phase and is subject to contract. It is therefore too early to confirm expected in‑service dates.
Good progress is being made through the joint UK–Germany Early Concept Demonstrator contract, which will enable shared trials and evaluation.
Assessment and demonstration activities will run concurrently to accelerate delivery and achieve a Minimum Deployable Capability within this decade.
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 latest estimated in-service 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 ready for operations by the end of the decade.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to allocate one of the eight Type 26 frigates currently intended for the Royal Navy to Norway.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Working together with our Norwegian Partners we are assessing options for offering Type 26 build slots currently allocated to the Royal Navy to the Royal Norwegian Navy.
The Royal Navy will receive all eight Type 26 ships during the late 2020s and 2030s as planned. Norway's biggest ever defence procurement deal will see a combined fleet of 13 Anti-Submarine Warfare frigates - eight British and at least five Norwegian - operate jointly in Northern Europe, significantly strengthening NATO's northern flank.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will give the latest estimated in-service date for HMS Belfast.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The T26 programme remains on track to meet all user requirements and deliver eight world-class anti-submarine warfare frigates to replace the anti-submarine warfare T23s. All ships are expected to enter service from the late 2020s with the added advantage of working alongside up to six identical Royal Norwegian Navy vessels.
Type 26 Frigates will allow the Royal Navy to continue to play a leading role in the anti-submarine theatre of the North Atlantic, providing a crucial output to both NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ajax armoured vehicles had been delivered by General Dynamics to a) his Department and b) the Army as of 1 November 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As of 1 November 2025:
166 Capability Drop 3 platforms were accepted by the Ministry of Defence and 156 of these were delivered to the Army.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered gifting Watchkeeper to Ukraine.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK and partners will continue to ensure we equip Ukraine as best we can to defend its sovereign territory and ensure it is in a position of strength for any peace negotiations.
Since Watchkeeper Mk1 entered service in 2010, drone technology has evolved at remarkable pace, driven by the extensive use of unmanned systems in the war in Ukraine. The Department has therefore prioritised this effort on more cost-effective drones that deliver comparable capability and can operate in the most demanding environments.