Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the powers of the Commissioner for the British Indian Overseas Territory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in response to Questions HL16595-99 on 29 April.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the budget for the Commissioner of the British Indian Overseas Territory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in response to Questions HL16595-99 on 29 April.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government to whom the Commissioner of British Indian Overseas Territory reports.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in response to Questions HL16595-99 on 29 April.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they most recently met the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory to discuss the settlement of Chagossians on Peros Banhos island.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in response to Questions HL16595-99 on 29 April.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last discussed the administration of the British Indian Ocean Territory with the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer provided in response to Questions HL16595-99 on 29 April.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a Minister authorised UK immigration officers and police to search the yacht No Excuse and seize supplies intended for inhabitants of the Chagos Islands on 11 April; and if so, which one.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
These are operational matters for the British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT) Authority, discharged under the powers provided in the BIOT (Immigration) Order 2004.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria was used by customs and immigration officers to decide what items should be confiscated from the yacht No Excuse on its way to the Chagos Islands on 11 April.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
These are operational matters for the British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT) Authority, discharged under the powers provided in the BIOT (Immigration) Order 2004.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials will be visiting Mauritius on 22 April; and what is the purpose of the visit.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government keeps in regular contact with our counterparts in Mauritius regarding progress on the implementation of the agreement. We do not intend to provide a running commentary on these conversations.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they assess clauses 89 and 90 of the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill to be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights, in light of sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 being found incompatible by the Northern Ireland High Court in Dillon and others.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The High Court found the provisions which concerned Interim Custody Orders in sections 46 and 47 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 to be incompatible with our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.
As set out in the written ministerial statement [HCWS1063] made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 18 November 2025, we have carefully considered the High Court ruling and have tabled an alternative approach with clauses 89 and 90 to address the erroneous interpretation made in Adams regarding the application of the Carltona principle.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many civil claims relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles are currently directed against each government department; how many of these were blocked by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and will be unblocked by the proposed Remedial Order; and what are those departments' annual budgeted estimates for payment of settled legacy claims and costs.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There were approximately 800 civil cases ongoing at the time of introduction of what was then the Legacy Bill on 17 May 2022. These remained untouched by the restrictions imposed by the Legacy Bill. Following introduction of the Bill, a further 230 cases were lodged, which were then halted when the Legacy Act came into force. Of these 230 cases, approximately 120 relate to the Ministry of Defence. These cases would be able to be resumed as a result of the Remedial Order taking effect.
The Northern Ireland Office does not hold a further breakdown of such civil cases, nor the budgeted estimates for payment of settled legacy claims for individual departments.