Mentions:
1: David Lammy (Lab - Tottenham) UK and Mauritius have agreed to continue the negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Priti Patel (Con - Witham) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
2: Al Pinkerton (LD - Surrey Heath) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
3: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
4: Priti Patel (Con - Witham) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2025 to Question 24737 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius, what estimate he has made of the number of rounds of negotiations there will be between the UK and Mauritius Governments on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory before the Government brings forward a Bill to make the necessary amendments to current legislation to implement a UK/Mauritius Treaty on this matter.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we and Mauritius have repeatedly said, including in joint statements on 20 December 2024 and on 13 January, both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. Once the Treaty is signed it will be laid before both Houses for scrutiny under the CRaG process and a Bill will be brought forward to make the necessary amendments to current legislation to implement the Treaty.
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, whether the proposed treaty with Mauritius on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory contains guarantees to support British Chagossians in visiting the Chagos archipelago.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we have previously said, we will work with Mauritius to start a new programme of visits for Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia.
Mentions:
1: Jim Shannon (DUP - Strangford) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
2: Bradley Thomas (Con - Bromsgrove) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
3: Priti Patel (Con - Witham) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
4: Caroline Dinenage (Con - Gosport) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
5: Neil Hudson (Con - Epping Forest) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
6: Jeremy Corbyn (Ind - Islington North) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Gagan Mohindra (Con - South West Hertfordshire) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
2: Priti Patel (Con - Witham) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
3: Priti Patel (Con - Witham) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
4: Lillian Jones (Lab - Kilmarnock and Loudoun) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
5: Priti Patel (Con - Witham) Indian Ocean Territory. - Speech Link
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) engagement and (b) consultation he (i) has had and (ii) plans to have with parliamentarians on the treaty with Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As well as responding to numerous parliamentary and urgent questions regarding negotiations with Mauritius around the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) treaty. In December 2024 I met with the Chagos All party Parliamentary Group (APPG) where I briefed members of both houses on the deal. That month Baroness Chapman briefed Liberal Democrat Peers and Harriet Matthews, deputy chief negotiator for the BIOT treaty, briefed the Foreign Affairs Committee. In November 2024 the Foreign Secretary also appeared before the commons select committee on Foreign Affairs.
Later this month I will be briefing the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories APPG where I will further answer questions around the treaty.
Written Evidence Mar. 26 2025
Inquiry: The UK’s future relationship with the USFound: Archipelago is linked to its commanding position in the middle of the Indian Ocean which sits at the
Found: Indian Ocean Territory: February 2021 update , February 2021 British Indian Ocean Territory: 2024
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings he has held with the incoming US administration on the terms 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 regularly in touch with the US on a range of matters including the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago. We look forward to discussing these matters with the incoming Administration in the usual way.