Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37768 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries, what estimate he has made of the level of financial assistance that will be provided to the Government of Mauritius to implement a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Further engagement on the details of the Marine Protected Area will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37762 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Seas and Oceans, whether the Marine Protected Area established by Mauritius under the terms of the agreement between the UK and Mauritius will be supported by his Department's Blue Belt Programme.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The enhanced partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. Further engagement on the details of the MPA will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Global Clean Power Alliance: finance mission statement, published on 20 November 2024, what progress he has made on the finance mission.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have been working closely with Brazil, our co-chair for the Finance Mission, to develop a set of time-bound deliverables which will focus the Finance Mission's activity. The proposals will be shared after further consultation with Mission members and delivery partners, reflecting the collaborative approach of the Global Clean Power Alliance.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March to Question 36204 on James Scott Rhys Anderson, what discussions he has had with (a) the Russian ambassador to the UK and (b) senior Russian officials on the imprisonment of James Anderson.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Ukrainian authorities have confirmed British national James Anderson was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, meaning he holds Prisoner of War (PoW) status. Ukraine holds responsibility for engagement on any members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who are captured as PoWs, regardless of their nationality. We strongly condemn the sentencing of Mr. Anderson in a Russian court on false charges. Under international law, PoWs cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, including that PoWs are treated humanely, and condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. The UK regularly raises Mr Anderson's case with our Ukrainian partners. We recently raised Mr Anderson's case with the Russian Ambassador, making it clear that Mr. Anderson must be treated as a PoW, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson's family and are providing consular support.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure long term access to the Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will assist Mauritius in implementing a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area in the Archipelago, which will extend to technical, financial, capacity-building assistance, fostering long-term sustainable management. The parties will work with international conservation organisations to ensure the implementation of science-backed strategies for conservation.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the (a) seabed and (b) other parts of the marine portfolio of the area within 200 nautical miles of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) has some of the most biodiverse waters on the planet with over 220 species of coral, 855 species of fish and 355 species of molluscs. Since its designation as a Marine Protected Area in 2010, the BIOT Administration has managed environmental policy across the archipelago, with marine conservation efforts supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Blue Belt Programme. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius will be supported by an enhanced partnership on conservation under which the UK will support Mauritius to establish a Marine Protected Area that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Archipelago.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the terms are of the agreement with the US for the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia signed in 2016.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As stated in the reply to PQ 25391, the US presence and operations in the British Indian Ocean Territory are governed by a series of international agreements, which set out that the whole Territory should be made available for UK and US defence purposes. In 2016, the UK and US agreed to extend the provisions of the 1966 Exchange of Notes for an additional 20 years. The 1966 Exchange of Notes and other additions to the Notes are available at the United Nations Treaty Database Website.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35007 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius, what access the UK would have to any economic exclusion zone implemented by Mauritius around the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the Treaty, the UK will retain full control over Diego Garcia, including unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US. Further details will be set out when the Treaty is published after signature.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to secure the release of James Anderson from Russian custody.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We strongly condemn the sentencing of British national James Anderson in a Russian court on false charges. Under international law, prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, including that prisoners of war are treated humanely. We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. The UK regularly raises Mr Anderson's case with our Ukrainian partners, and at every opportunity with senior Russian officials. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson's family and are providing consular support.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to resolve the dispute between the Republic of the Maldives’s Economic Exclusion Zone and the British Indian Ocean Territory’s (a) Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone and (b) Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone in negotiations with the Government of Mauritius.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we outlined in our joint statement of 3 October 2024, following two years of negotiation with the intention of resolving all outstanding issues between the UK and Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, the UK and Mauritius reached political agreement which is subject to the finalisation in a treaty and connected legal instruments. The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius under which the UK will support Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. The UK was not a party to the 2021 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea case between Mauritius and Maldives.