Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Diego Garcia military base, whether an exemption will exist from the Africa Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone provisions of the Pelindaba Treaty after sovereignty of the Chagos Islands is transferred from the United Kingdom to Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 January to Question 103253.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she and (b) her immediate predecessor had discussions with their United States counterparts on the opt-out provisions applying to (i) Diego Garcia and (ii) the Chagos Islands as a whole as set out in (A) Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, (B) Article 48 of the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union and (C) the Commonwealth Reservation to the International Court of Justice.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's legal position regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory has been published and discussed at length in both Houses of Parliament. Our international partners are fully aware of our position and the security and operational implications. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the US-UK base and operations on Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she has had discussions with her United States counterpart the potential security implications of the existence of opt-outs in respect of (a) Diego Garcia and (b) the Chagos Islands under (i) Article 298 of UNCLOS, (ii) Article 428 of the International Telecommunication Union and (iii) the Commonwealth Reservation to the International Court of Justice on the future security of the Diego Garcia military base.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's legal position regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory has been published and discussed at length in both Houses of Parliament. Our international partners are fully aware of our position and the security and operational implications. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the US-UK base and operations on Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Pelindaba Treaty, what discussions she has with the Secretary of State for Defence on the long-term potential capability of storing nuclear weapons on Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers provided by the Ministry of Defence on 14 January in response to Question 103951, and on 5 December 2024 in response to Question 16455.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
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 implications for her policies of the role of (a) Russia and (b) China in (i) supplying military aircraft and other offensive weaponry to and (b) impeding condemnation by the UN Security Council of the military regime in Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has sanctioned a number of targets responsible for supplying arms to the military regime since the coup in 2021. In 2022, the UK sanctioned two Russian companies involved in the supply and upkeep of aircraft for the Myanmar Armed Forces. In 2024, the UK issued its 19th round of sanctions, targeting companies involved in the procurement of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar Armed Forces. To date, the UK has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and entities in connection with the import of aviation fuel.
The UK convened the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 22 December 2025 to discuss the Myanmar crisis, and condemned recent airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. A summary of the session is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elections-under-the-current-circumstances-in-myanmar-risk-provoking-further-violence-uk-statement-on-myanmar
The UK continues to use its penholder role to shine a spotlight on the Myanmar crisis at the UNSC.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the British Embassy in Beijing has been affected by intermittent water supplies; and whether that Embassy has experienced similar issues that have affected its operations.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not recognise those reports.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria her Department applies in classifying a country as (a) posing a threat to and (b) constituting an enemy of the United Kingdom; and whether those criteria include (i) hostility to democratic polities, (ii) possession of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, (iii) totalitarian domestic repressiveness and (iv) adherence to Marxist-Leninist communist ideology.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
National security is the first duty of any government. The National Security Council ensures that Ministers consider national security in the round and in a strategic way. Robust intelligence analysis of any activity that might undermine our security underpins any judgment about national security threats. Formal assessments draw on multiple sources, taking into consideration a country's capability, intent, behaviours, and impact across a range of national interests. The Government is committed to countering state threat activity to protect our country and secure the national interest.