Asked by: Baroness Curran (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take further action against Georgian officials who continue to cooperate with recently sanctioned Georgian broadcasters Imedi TV and Post TV.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK takes a strong stand against those promoting the destabilisation of Ukraine, including entities in Georgia that use Russia-aligned misinformation. It is our long-standing policy not to comment on the potential targets of future sanctions, as to do so could undermine their impact.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether ministers will need to introduce primary legislation in order to implement the 2026 UK-EU treaty in respect of Gibraltar.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The treaty was published in draft on 26 February while legal teams complete final checks and translations. Once that process is complete, the final version will be laid in the UK Parliament for scrutiny before ratification, in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government by what date the 2026 UK-EU treaty in respect of Gibraltar will be formally laid before Parliament.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The treaty was published in draft on 26 February while legal teams complete final checks and translations. Once that process is complete, the final version will be laid in the UK Parliament for scrutiny before ratification, in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is their policy to inform Mauritius of any armed attack on a third State directly emanating from the base on Diego Garcia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK-Mauritius Agreement has not yet entered into force, and as such standard operating protocols apply.
The requirement to inform a host nation about military action undertaken is a standard element in many such arrangements. However, once the agreement has entered into force it does not require us to notify Mauritius in advance.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the proposed transfer of the Chagos Archipelago might weaken the United Kingdom’s capacity to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement to protect climate vulnerable ecosystems such as coral reefs.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, last updated on 12 January, details the importance of the Chagos Archipelago in supporting the healthiest, best managed large ecosystem complex in the Indian ocean, and confirms that - after the UK-Mauritius treaty comes into force - we will support the Mauritian Government in an enhanced partnership to ensure the future protection of that unique environment. As discussed at length during the debates on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, the treaty is entirely compatible with the UK's other environmental commitments and obligations.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the proposed handover of the Chagos Archipelago complies with the UK's commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity, particularly regarding the maintenance of protected areas and ecosystem conservation.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, last updated on 12 January, details the importance of the Chagos Archipelago in supporting the healthiest, best managed large ecosystem complex in the Indian ocean, and confirms that - after the UK-Mauritius treaty comes into force - we will support the Mauritian Government in an enhanced partnership to ensure the future protection of that unique environment. As discussed at length during the debates on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, the treaty is entirely compatible with the UK's other environmental commitments and obligations.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the handover of the Chagos Archipelago could undermine the United Kingdom’s duty to safeguard critical habitats under the Convention on Migratory Species.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, last updated on 12 January, details the importance of the Chagos Archipelago in supporting the healthiest, best managed large ecosystem complex in the Indian ocean, and confirms that - after the UK-Mauritius treaty comes into force - we will support the Mauritian Government in an enhanced partnership to ensure the future protection of that unique environment. As discussed at length during the debates on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, the treaty is entirely compatible with the UK's other environmental commitments and obligations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enhance relations and deepen mutual democratic links with Taiwan.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK maintains a strong, unofficial relationship with Taiwan, based on shared democratic values and wide-ranging economic, cultural and people-to-people ties. We engage through regular dialogue and cooperation on trade, education, science and global challenges, and support parliamentary, academic and civil society exchanges that strengthen mutual democratic links.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an environmental impact assessment for the proposed handover of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, consistent with Article 206 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, last updated on 12 January, details the importance of the Chagos Archipelago in supporting the healthiest, best managed large ecosystem complex in the Indian ocean, and confirms that - after the UK-Mauritius treaty comes into force - we will support the Mauritian Government in an enhanced partnership to ensure the future protection of that unique environment. As discussed at length during the debates on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, the treaty is entirely compatible with the UK's other environmental commitments and obligations.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an analysis of how the proposed handover of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius aligns with Articles 192 to 194 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, last updated on 12 January, details the importance of the Chagos Archipelago in supporting the healthiest, best managed large ecosystem complex in the Indian ocean, and confirms that - after the UK-Mauritius treaty comes into force - we will support the Mauritian Government in an enhanced partnership to ensure the future protection of that unique environment. As discussed at length during the debates on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, the treaty is entirely compatible with the UK's other environmental commitments and obligations.