Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with his Mauritian counterpart about the potential effects on maritime security in the Indian Ocean of transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritian sovereignty.

The Secretary of State for Defence has not held recent discussions with his Mauritian counterpart.

The UK and Mauritius are in negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago. The UK and Mauritius have reiterated that any agreement between our two countries will ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a key role in regional security.