Written questions by Francois.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of25 February 2025 to Question 28896, whether his Department has now received and processed all outstanding invoices for external legal costs relating to (a) sovereignty matters and (b) migration issues on the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024; and if he will publish a full breakdown of the total costs incurred.

Due to the ongoing issues highlighted in the answer to his previous Parliamentary Question (28896), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is still to receive a number of invoices for these costs, and it is not possible to provide an accurate figure at this time.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his Department's latest estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the proposed agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, including (a) annual payments to Mauritius, (b) total projected expenditure over the 99-year lease period and (c) any upfront costs.

Once an agreement is signed further details of the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.

What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the (a) financial and (b) legal liabilities of repealing the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 (the Act) was almost universally opposed in Northern Ireland. A number of its key provisions, including those relating to the immunity scheme, have been found to be unlawful by the domestic courts. Ongoing litigation regarding the Act has incurred significant cost to the public purse and I regularly take advice on these matters. Officials in the Northern Ireland Office and His Majesty’s Treasury are in regular contact about the Government’s commitment to repeal and replace the Act, as with any other process of policy development.

What role the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme has in support of the Continuous At Sea Deterrent.

The Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme supports the Continuous At Sea Deterrent by extending the operational life of the Merlin helicopter fleet until 2040. These helicopters provide essential anti-submarine warfare capabilities, ensuring the security and readiness of the Royal Navy's deterrent patrols.

When he plans to approve the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme.

The Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopter Out-of-Service Date Extension Programme, to retain the capability in service from 2029-30 until 2040, is currently underway through standard Ministry of Defence processes. The Outline Business Case was approved in October 2023. A Review Note was approved in December 2024. Departmental Spend Control Approvals are currently considering whether to commit expenditure for this Programme in 2025-26. The forecast for a Full Business Case submission is in early 2027.

What approvals process is required for the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Programme; and what the timescale is for that process.

The Royal Navy’s Merlin helicopter Out-of-Service Date Extension Programme, to retain the capability in service from 2029-30 until 2040, is currently underway through standard Ministry of Defence processes. The Outline Business Case was approved in October 2023. A Review Note was approved in December 2024. Departmental Spend Control Approvals are currently considering whether to commit expenditure for this Programme in 2025-26. The forecast for a Full Business Case submission is in early 2027.

What formal agreements have been established with (a) the Department for Work and Pensions, (b) NHS England and (c) local housing authorities on the (i) acceptance and (ii) integration of the Digital Veterans ID card for priority service access; what technical standards will be used to ensure interoperability; and when it will become operational for those services.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

What (a) governance structure and (b) ethical oversight mechanisms have been established for the Digital Veterans ID card.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

Which veteran organisations representing people who served in sensitive operations were consulted during the discovery phase of the Digital Veterans ID card; how their feedback was incorporated; and what design changes resulted.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of verification interactions using the Digital Veterans ID card on the safety of veterans; and whether he has developed mitigations for potential risks.

The Digital Veteran Card will be launched this year as the first digital credential in the GOV.UK Wallet. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, has robust governance arrangements in place overseeing its effective design and delivery, including ethical and security considerations. The Digital Veteran Card continues this Government’s commitment to veterans, giving them swifter access to help and support available to them - from help with health, housing and employment to access to retail offers. It is in addition to the existing physical Veteran Card already held by over 250,000 former Service personnel across the country. The digital card will be entirely optional for our veterans. It may also be helpful to further explain that the Digital Veteran Card is being developed jointly by the MOD and the Government Digital Service (GDS). It will use GOV.UK One Login which already allows users to securely prove their identity online to access Government services. The Digital Veteran Card will be saved securely in the GOV.UK Wallet, allowing veterans to show it to organisations on their smartphones and prove their eligibility to access services. The GOV.UK Wallet follows industry standards for security, and further technical standards will be adhered to in order to ensure interoperability. The Veteran Card credential will enable a veteran to prove they are a veteran to an organisation without disclosing unnecessary information. This can reduce the sensitive information organisations might otherwise collect and therefore avoid unnecessary data sharing. The security of our veterans, including those who served in sensitive operations, remains paramount. In designing the Veteran Card, The MOD has engaged across the sector, including veteran charities, associations and with veterans themselves. This shaped how the service is designed and what information is held on the Veteran Card; it will not include sensitive service history.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Finance Director of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

The Finance Director of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, which posts within NHS East of England are remunerated at the ESM 1 salary band.

Of the 14 roles in the ESM 1 band in NHS East of England, those that are currently filled are:Director of Commissioning Finance;Director of Nursing - Quality and Transformation;Director of Commissioning of Public Health;Director of Strategy, Planning and Supply;Director of Nursing – Clinical Quality;Director of Planned Care and Improvement;Director of Digital Transformation; andDirector of UEC, Emergency Response and Performance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister for Development's oral contribution of 25 February 2025, Official Report, column 873, which international courts and tribunals could issue a legally binding judgment on UK sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

There are numerous avenues through which Mauritius could pursue a legally binding judgment, including relevant provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or under dispute provisions of treaties to which both states are parties. Such cases could be brought rapidly and include seeking provisional measures, themselves legally binding, which could be introduced within weeks. This would have had serious implications for base operations. The status quo was not sustainable and ignoring these issues was not a responsible approach for a government serious about protecting the UK's national security.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Chief Operating Officer of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

The Chief Operating Officer of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the annual salary of the Regional Director of NHS East of England is within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

The Regional Director of NHS East of England is not remunerated within the maximum exception zone for the salary band.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27118 on NHS England: Pay, whether the Strategy Director of NHS East of England is remunerated with an annual salary within the maximum exception zone salary band.

The Strategy Director of NHS East of England is remunerated within the maximum exception zone salary band.

What the average wait time is for a training slot for RAF trainee pilots for (a) Typhoons, (b) F35s and (c) Hawk jets.

The average wait time for a training slot for RAF trainee pilots in Training Year 2024-25 has been: a. Six weeks for Typhoonb. 10 weeks for F35 Lightningc. Six weeks for Hawk T2

What the average cost was of training a Royal Air Force pilot to Phase 2 Military Flying Training in each training year from 2019-20 to 2024-25; and whether the Department has conducted any further cost modelling since the 2021-22 financial year.

In-depth cost modelling for UK military flying training was conducted in Financial Year 2021-22. There has been no requirement to update since 2021-22 but a review is expected as work commences to consider future options for UK Military Flying Training beyond the current contract in 2033.The average cost of flying training for Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots in Financial Year 2021-22 was as follows: RAF Fast Jet: £5,362,085RAF Multi Engine: £ 953,817RAF Rotary Wing: £1,041,843 The above figures include pay, support costs and costs within UKMFTS contract up to the point a trainee pilot commences training on a front line aircraft as part of an Operational Conversion Unit.

How many people were employed in the UK Military Flying Training Systems Team at Defence Equipment and Support in each year from 2019 to 2024; and how many were employed on 10 March 2025.

The number of Full Time Equivalent Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) staff employed within the Military Flying Training Systems teams as at 31 March in each complete Financial Year since 2019 is detailed in the table below. The figures include civilian and military employees and workforce substitutes. Financial YearMilitary Flying Training System2019-20164.772020-21162.812021-22171.832022-23180.122023-24167 The number of Full Time Equivalent DE&S staff employed within the Military Flying Training Systems teams as of 10 March 2025 is 130. This figure represents data taken from a resource planning dashboard used temporarily whilst the resource management software is reconfigured to reflect DE&S’ new Operating Model, and as such is not directly comparable with the figures in the table.

How many RAF personnel were awaiting flying training on 10 March 2025.

As of 3 March 2025, there were 35 RAF Aircrew who had completed their initial non-role specific RAF training and were awaiting commencement of formal flying training; consisting of 21 Officers and 14 Non-Commissioned Aircrew.