Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2025 to Question 30971 on Armed Forces: Civil Proceedings, whether the Attorney General’s list of conflicts included legacy-related matters under the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has an established and rigorous process for identifying and dealing with conflicts, and potential conflicts, that arise from the Law Officers’ past practice. That process sits against the backdrop of every lawyer’s professional obligation to be alert to, and actively manage, any situation that might give rise to a potential or actual conflict.
This rigorous process for identifying and managing conflicts sits alongside the system relating to ministerial interests, overseen by the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards. Both the Director General of the AGO and the Independent Adviser were provided with the Attorney General’s list of conflicts following his appointment.
If a Law Officer were to publicly confirm specific matters where they were conflicted, this would infer that legal advice had been requested by the Government on a specific matter, which would risk a breach of the Law Officers’ Convention.
In addition, a lawyer cannot breach a client’s confidentiality in relation to advisory work that had previously not been made public so this would limit the ability of a Law Officer to publish in full their previous caseload and conflicts schedule. In that regard, the Attorney General has been through the same process as previous Law Officers, none of whom have gone as far to proactively disclose their specific conflicts of interest for the reasons set out above.
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 13 October 2025 to Question 77476 on Boxer Vehicles: Repairs and Maintenance, when the review of the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (Boxer) programme’s Initial Operating Capability will be completed; and if he will provide an update to the House once that review has concluded.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The review of the Mechanised Infantry Boxer Programme’s Initial Operating Capability schedule has been completed and is progressing through the Ministry of Defence Approvals process.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to his Oral Statement of 14 October 2025 on Northern Ireland Troubles, Official Report, column 247 and his Department's press release entitled Northern Ireland Troubles Bill to repeal and replace Legacy Act, published on 14 October 2025, if he will confirm that the proposed protections for veterans in (a) that Bill and (b) forthcoming protocols will not extend to alleged paramilitaries.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill includes new protections and safeguards for veterans that were not included in the 2023 Act, and that respond directly to the views expressed by veterans during engagements that the Government has undertaken. The Government is also taking forward some measures on a non-legislative basis. All of the protections that the Government has announced are being introduced in order to protect and ensure fair treatment of any veteran who is asked to engage with legacy mechanisms.
Some measures will apply only to veterans, including the protection from cold calling and the new safeguard that ensures veterans do not have to give unnecessary evidence on historical context and general operational details.
Other measures, including the right to give evidence remotely and having regard to the welfare of witnesses, will necessarily apply to others. This will ensure, for example, that former police officers are able to avail of these measures.
The Commission will be under a duty to avoid duplication unless it is considered essential which will apply to all of its investigations. This will ensure that the Commission’s investigations are effective, efficient, and focused on getting answers for families, whilst also protecting veterans from needlessly having to provide information previously covered.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department will publish an impact assessment for the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial) Order 2025.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Making Legislation makes clear that “Impact Assessments are generally required for all UK government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector and/or civil society organisation or public services”.
As the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (Remedial Order) 2025 does not regulate the private sector, civil society organisations or public services, no Impact Assessment has been produced. Parliament will have the ability to debate the impact of the Remedial Order in the usual way.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the number of potential claims against former UK armed forces personnel that could be eligible for judicial consideration under the proposals in the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Existing civil cases were not barred from proceeding by the Legacy Act. The Government is, by way of a Remedial Order, repealing the retrospective bar on new civil cases and the bar on future civil cases, which has been found to be incompatible with our legal obligations. It is not possible to predict potential future proceedings.
As is currently the case with the ICRIR, the Legacy Commission will be able to investigate, on request, Troubles-related deaths and serious injuries that occurred between 1 January 1966 and 10 April 1998. While it is not possible to predict its future caseload, the vast majority of the Troubles-related deaths, some 90%, were at the hands of paramilitaries.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value was of the contract awarded by his Department to Korn Ferry for the recruitment of the National Armaments Director.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The competition was supported by Kornferry: details of the contract award and value are available here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/Attachment/be88f513-c01a-4620-89f9-1cb2cc686895 and here Executive & Non-Executive Recruitment Services - CCS
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to respond to Questions 75061 and 75064 on National Armaments Director: Recruitment.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
A response for both questions has been issued here and here.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has for the future of the Warrior armoured vehicle fleet.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I can confirm that the Army has recently established a Disposals team which is working on next steps for all in-service equipment, including the Warrior fleet of vehicles. Options planning is ongoing, which includes programming against the expected drawdown of in-service equipment. A balance of readiness risk against sales opportunity is being carefully considered under scoping of future plans.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Challenger 3 in battlefield configuration has exceeded its maximum weight limit.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Challenger 3 tank is being designed to meet its weight requirement.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who holds the role of Senior Responsible Owner for the delivery of the Ajax Programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Armoured Cavalry Programme is Mr Chris Bowbrick.
The Senior Safety Responsible Officer position within Defece Equipment and Support is filled by a Senior Professional Engineer. As a former Defence Minister he will recall that it is not Ministry of Defence policy to name Civil Servants below Senior Civil Service 1* grades. It is however, worth noting that the Armoured Cavalry Programme SRO is formally accountable for the overall safety of the programme.