Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the UN to update World Map 4170 to show the Chagos Archipelago as Mauritian territory; and what plans they have to comply with UN General Assembly resolution 73/295 on the withdrawal of the UK administration of the Chagos Archipelago.

The UK notes that the designation of the British Indian Ocean Territory has been modified on maps produced by the UN, following UN General Assembly Resolution 73/295. This resolution is not legally binding and the UK voted against its adoption.

This modification by the UN does not alter, or determine, sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago and it makes no difference to the UK's position, which we have consistently made clear. The UK has no doubt about our sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. Mauritius has never held sovereignty, so we do not recognise its claim. We have, however, made a long-standing commitment to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. We stand by that commitment.