Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Pelindaba Treaty on the operation of (a) air and (b) maritime operations from Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia.

The security provisions we have secured as part of the UK-Mauritius Agreement ensure that the UK will continue to have full operational control over Diego Garcia, including unrestricted access to and use of the military base. Both the UK and Mauritius are satisfied that our existing international obligations are fully compatible with the Agreement. All operations on Diego Garcia will continue to comply with applicable international law.