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 salary band of the current Ajax SRO; and whether this has been supplemented by a performance or other bonus within the part three years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Information regarding paybands for Army Command Senior Civil Servants can be found at the following link: Army staff roles and salaries
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he now intends to publish the Defence Investment Plan.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We are working flat out between now and the end of the year to finalise the Defence Investment Plan. I am sure the Hon. Gentleman will appreciate the scale of the decisions that we need to make. He will also appreciate the scale of the problems that we face, including those to do with a programme of the last Government’s that over-committed, and was underfunded and unsuited to meeting the threats that we will face in the future.
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 ever sought legal advice from the Treasury Solicitor's Department on Ajax.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I can confirm that legal advice has been sought from the Government Legal Department on Ajax.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last met his US counterpart to discuss the progress of the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Secretary of State for Defence regularly speaks with his US counterpart to discuss critical bilateral topics. Defence ministers, service chiefs, and officials frequently engage with their US counterparts on the E-7 programme. Most recently, the Chief of the Air Staff discussed it with his US counterpart in November 2025.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total estimated a) acquisition cost and b) through life cost is of the Boxer programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As published in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Annual Report 2024-25 data. The initial acquisition cost for the contracted Mechanised Infantry Boxer vehicles is £3.1 billion. The forecast whole life cost for the Mechanised Infantry Boxer Programme, covering wider Defence Lines of Development such as support and potential capability uplifts, is £7 billion.
https://www.gov.uk/csv-preview/6895fbb63080e72710b2e2ef/nista_annual_report_data_2425.csv
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what legal actions his Department has sought to initiate for liquidated damages from contractors in the last five years, broken down by a) project name, b) original contract value and c) sums recovered by his Department.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the largest sum ever recovered by his Department is following a successful legal action for liquidated damages against a contractor; and for which programme this applied.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's definition is of liquidated damages.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Department's definition of liquidated damages is a pre-agreed sum to compensate for the financial loss that arises from the contractor’s failure to perform their contractual obligations.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who manufactures the command system for the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail aircraft.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The command system onboard Boeing E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, referred to as the Mission System, is primarily manufactured and integrated by Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who is the current SRO for the Boxer programme.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Senior Responsible Officer for the Mechanised Infantry Boxer Programme is Martyn Williams, as published in the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority Government Major Projects Portfolio transparency data.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nista-annual-report-2024-2025