Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the recent raising of the Mauritian flag over the Chagos Islands, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of working with native Chagossians settled in the UK to help share their perspectives.

Chagossians in the UK, Mauritius and Seychelles have voiced their displeasure at this provocative stunt undertaken by the Government of Mauritius. We regularly meet Chagossians both in the UK and Mauritius and are working with them to progress a support package worth approximately £40 million (announced in November 2016). This provides Chagossians in the UK, Mauritius and Seychelles with support in education, health, social and cultural activities.