Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risk of claims from third countries in relation to the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Mauritius's legal claim of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is supported by a number of international institutions, including the UN General Assembly. If a long-term deal was not reached between the UK and Mauritius, it is highly likely that further wide-ranging litigation would be brought quickly by Mauritius against the UK.