Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 38547 on China: Cook Islands, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that strategic agreement on his negotiations on the proposed treaty with the Government of Mauritius on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Under the agreement we will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces. This will ensure the long term secure and effective operation of the base well into the next century.