Found: Indian Ocean Territory: February 2021 update , February 2021 British Indian Ocean Territory: 2024
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how he plans to (a) monitor and (b) enforce the prohibition on the presence of foreign security forces on the outer Chagos islands.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to the Urgent Question on the British Indian Ocean Territory on 2 April 2025.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that activities on the outer Chagos islands do not impact the operation of Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to the Urgent Question on the British Indian Ocean Territory on 2 April 2025.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussion he has had with representatives of the United States administration on the cost to US armed forces of the leaseback of the Diego Garcia military base as part of the Chagos settlement.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Defence Secretary is in regular contact with Secretary Austin on a range of issues, including the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago. The Diego Garcia military base is a joint UK-US facility and is an essential part of the UK-US defence relationship.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the validity of the Maldives’ claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Islands were between the UK and Mauritius, following a long-standing dispute. They were bilateral negotiations between the two countries: no other states were involved. The Maldives are a valued partner and we are in regular contact with them about a range of issues.
Asked by: Mark Francois (Conservative - Rayleigh and Wickford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 28893 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether he has made an assessment with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the value for money of the proposed Chagos Island deal.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The treaty is not finalised yet, when the deal is finalised, the Government will put it before the House.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his planned timetable is for signing the agreement with Mauritius on sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The timetable for treaty signature has not yet been determined. Following Mauritian elections, UK officials are engaging with the new Mauritian administration on the details of the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago agreement.Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he will lay before Parliament the proposed treaty on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago which protects the long-term effective operation of the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia. We continue to engage with Mauritius and are not going to provide a running commentary on the details.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the (a) current and (b) incoming United States Administration on the timetable for signing the treaty with Mauritius on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with Secretary Blinken on a range of issues, including the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago.
We look forward to continuing to engage with the current and incoming US Administrations in the usual way to protect and enhance our shared security interests.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2025 to Question 36634 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, on which date the Mauritius Marine Protected Area will be implemented.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The enhanced partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. Further engagement on the details of the MPA will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.