Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they will pay per annum to lease Diego Garcia; and what is the expected total cost of the financial support that the UK has agreed to give to Mauritius, including any cost of annual payments.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty which the Government intends to complete over the coming months. Further details will remain confidential until the final version of the Treaty has been signed by both sides. Details of financial arrangements are held in the confidential exchange of letters that accompanies the draft treaty, which we do not plan to make public unless compelled to by parliament in due course. While we continue to finalise the treaty, making these figures public would put into question our reliability as a negotiating partner and undermine the security of the base.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether consultations were held with representatives of the Chagossian community prior to the decision to hand over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius and, if so, how many meetings were held; and what other steps were taken.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The negotiations were between the UK and Mauritius, with our priority being to secure the full operation of the base on Diego Garcia. However, we recognise the huge importance of the islands to Chagossians and have worked to ensure this agreement reflects their interests. Mauritius will be free to implement a programme of resettlement on the islands other than Diego Garcia, and we will finance a new trust fund for Mauritius in support of Chagossians. Working with Mauritius, we will also restart visits to all the islands for Chagossians. Ministers and officials will continue regular engagement with members of the community.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the military and security impact of negotiations between the UK and Mauritius on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory; and what is the timeline for these negotiations.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Mauritius have held 12 rounds of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Whilst it is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, our priority remains to resolve this important issue and ensure that any agreement protects the long-term effective and secure operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their position on the sovereignty of Gibraltar, and what communications they have had recently with the government of Spain in this regard.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK Government is confident of British sovereignty over the whole of Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The UK Government will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. We have not, and will never enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. We regularly make this position clear to Spain.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider the government of China a strategic (1) threat, or (2) challenge, to the UK.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government will bring a consistent, long-term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, driven by the national interest. We will co-operate where we can, including on global net zero, health and trade; compete where we have different interests; and challenge where we must, to protect our national security and values. We will improve the UK's capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of the UK's relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Mauritius about the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory; and what is their policy on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian Prime Minister on 23 July and committed to continuing negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago. It is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, but it is the Government's priority to resolve this long standing and important issue, including ensuring the long-term secure and effective operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they have offered to the government of Brazil, if any, following the recent flooding in Rio Grande do Sul.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We were saddened to learn of the terrible flooding that has ravaged Rio Grande do Sul. The Minister for the Americas [Minister Rutley] offered our sincere condolences to all those affected by this tragic incident, including the families of those who have so sadly lost their lives. His Majesty's Ambassador to Brazil has also offered condolences to State Governor Eduardo Leite. Through the Start Fund the UK has supported an allocation of £193,000 to provide humanitarian aid in response to the flooding in Brazil. The Start Fund is a pooled fund to which the UK is a major donor.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent comments by the President and government of Argentina regarding the future status of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to upholding the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination: only they can decide their own future. As the Foreign Secretary made clear on his recent visit to the Falkland Islands, as long as the Islanders wish to remain part of the UK family, there can be no discussions on sovereignty. The UK looks forward to developing a strong and constructive relationship with Argentina where we can agree to disagree politely on the issue of the Falkland Islands, but restart mutually beneficial co-operation on areas of shared interest.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had about securing the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and what steps they are taking to promote media freedom globally.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have called for Evan Gershkovich's immediate release. Senior UK officials regularly raise his case with Russian counterparts. The UK also remains in close contact with the US, which is providing consular support. The UK has condemned the Russian state's systematic repression of media freedom in various fora, including the UN Human Rights Council, General Assembly and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). As a co-founder of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK is committed to media freedom and holding to account those who violate or restrict it. Fifty coalition countries work together to promote and protect media freedom globally.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Iran regarding that country's recent missile attacks on Pakistan and Iraq.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK condemned the Iranian regime's attacks in Erbil on 15 January which killed civilians including UK-Iraqi national Karam Mikhael, and against targets in Pakistan on the 16 January. These actions were an unacceptable violation of both Iraq and Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have long condemned Iran's destabilising activity in its neighbourhood and wider region. The Foreign Secretary made clear to the Iranian Foreign Minister on 17 January that Iran must stop using the regional situation as cover to act recklessly and violate the sovereignty of others.