Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has given security guarantees to the United States on the future of the military base on Chagos Islands since 2 February 2026.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 January 2026 to Question 107405 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr Cartlidge). We welcome continued US support for a deal that secures the long-term, stable and effective operation of the base.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish official communications from the US State Department sent in March 2025 on the legal premise for transferring the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's legal position was set out on 22 May 2025 when the treaty was signed and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-secures-future-of-vital-diego-garcia-military-base-to-protect-national-security
I would also refer the Rt Hon Member to the statement made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the same day, which said: "The U.S. welcomes the historic agreement between the UK and Mauritius on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. This agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia, which is critical to regional and global security. We value both parties' dedication. The U.S. looks forward to our continued joint work to ensure the success of our shared operations."
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what guidance her Department provides on the potential impact of Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on British maritime logistics taking place in (a) the Falkland Islands, (b) Gibraltar and (c) other British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is a Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), having ratified it in 1997. The United Kingdom's position regarding Article 298 of UNCLOS is set out in the UK's formal declarations dated 7 April 2003 and 31 December 2020.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the transfer of Diego Garcia to Mauritius on the risk of nuclear proliferation across the African continent, in the context of the influences of (a) Iran, (b) Russia, (c) China and (d) other actors.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 September 2025 in response to Question 70432.