Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the United States on maintaining United Kingdom visibility and oversight of United States operations at Diego Garcia following the transition of sovereignty to Mauritius.

The Secretary of State for Defence speaks regularly with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on a wide range of issues, including most recently on 10 December. We welcome US support of the UK-Mauritius Agreement, and this Government will continue to work closely with the US to ensure the base's operational effectiveness and that it remains a vital part of our security alliance well into the next century.