Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an environmental impact assessment for the proposed handover of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, consistent with Article 206 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy, last updated on 12 January, details the importance of the Chagos Archipelago in supporting the healthiest, best managed large ecosystem complex in the Indian ocean, and confirms that - after the UK-Mauritius treaty comes into force - we will support the Mauritian Government in an enhanced partnership to ensure the future protection of that unique environment. As discussed at length during the debates on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, the treaty is entirely compatible with the UK's other environmental commitments and obligations.