Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has conducted a formal corruption and integrity risk assessment on the Chagos Deal.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
It is unclear what the Hon Member is referring to by 'a formal corruption and integrity risk assessment'. The UK/Mauritius Treaty has been thoroughly scrutinised by Parliament and has been tested at the highest level of the US security establishment, under two separate US administrations. No payments under the Treaty will be made to Mauritius until the treaty is ratified and any payments will be made in accordance with standard government practice, including fiduciary risk assessments as appropriate. The Government has also conducted both an Equality Impact Assessment, and an Environmental Principles Assessment of the treaty.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will provide a list of external legal, strategic, intelligence, PR and lobbying advice in relation to the proposed Chagos deal with Mauritius; who that advice was from; under what contract terms; and at what cost.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The Government has received external legal advice in relation to the negotiations with Mauritius over BIOT/the Chagos Archipelago over the course of several years.
Payments are published in the normal manner alongside other Departmental spend in the annual accounts.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the answer on 16 June 2025 to question 60001, if he will provide an itemised list of every visit and meeting with Chagossian groups.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The UK Government has engaged regularly with the Chagossian community since treaty negotiations began and continues to do so both at official and Ministerial level. This includes through the Chagossian Contact Group, which was established under this government, alongside meetings with a range of Chagossian groups and representatives. An itemised list of every visit and meeting could only be produced at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanism the Foreign Office uses to log incidents of Chinese transnational repression within the UK; and if he will consider establishing a formal dialogue with Beijing to raise these cases directly as matters affecting UK sovereignty.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government will not tolerate attempts by foreign states to coerce, intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK. The UK has a broad suite of powers available to counter foreign interference, including acts which amount to transnational repression. We continue to implement measures in the National Security Act 2023, which strengthens our legal powers and makes the UK a harder target.
We have already rolled out training to improve the police's ability to investigate potential incidents that may be state directed. This is in addition to publishing practical guidance online for those who believe themselves to be at risk of transnational repression. We raise concerns about transnational repression directly with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department has spent on legal fees opposing legal actions brought by Misley Mandarin and other Chagossians living in the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Any publication of the legal fees incurred will be made at the end of the proceedings in question.Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Nigerian counterpart on the persecution of Christians in that country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 26 June in response to Question 11395.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many officials from her Department with responsibility for the British Indian Ocean Territory are working a) within the British Indian Ocean Territory, b) from her Department's main building and c) from home remotely.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Indian Ocean Territory is constitutionally distinct and separate from the UK. It is administered by the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration (BIOTA). The Commissioner is based in the UK and is supported by around 40 staff split between the UK and the Territory. In addition, there are currently around 13 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff working on all aspects of BIOT policy, all of whom are based in the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Treaty which the UK signed with Mauritius in May 2025 provides a clear path to resettlement on the Archipelago. Under the terms of the Treaty, the Government of Mauritius will be able to start a programme of resettlement on islands other than Diego Garcia, which will be available to all eligible Chagossians regardless of where they live.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Small Island Developing States strategy 2026 to 2030, published 13 January 2026, what steps she is taking to protect the British Overseas Territories from economic shocks.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to strengthening the economic resilience of the Overseas Territories (OTs), including the resilience of critical infrastructure.
We support the OTs to diversify their economies, strengthen their fiscal governance, and invest in the upgrade and maintenance of critical infrastructure. Major investments in recent years include completion of the Rupert's Bay port on Saint Helena and Road Bay jetty in Anguilla, support for new telecommunications infrastructure on Ascension Island, and significant progress in construction of a new hospital and solar energy farm in Montserrat.
The UK also provides targeted environmental support to the OTs through the Blue Belt Programme, including in relation to plastic pollution. We are also continuing to work closely with our partners in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, and with other countries, to reach an ambitious agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Small Island Developing States strategy 2026 to 2030, published on13 January 2026, what steps she is taking to protect the British Overseas Territories from plastic pollution.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to strengthening the economic resilience of the Overseas Territories (OTs), including the resilience of critical infrastructure.
We support the OTs to diversify their economies, strengthen their fiscal governance, and invest in the upgrade and maintenance of critical infrastructure. Major investments in recent years include completion of the Rupert's Bay port on Saint Helena and Road Bay jetty in Anguilla, support for new telecommunications infrastructure on Ascension Island, and significant progress in construction of a new hospital and solar energy farm in Montserrat.
The UK also provides targeted environmental support to the OTs through the Blue Belt Programme, including in relation to plastic pollution. We are also continuing to work closely with our partners in the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, and with other countries, to reach an ambitious agreement that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.