Chagossians: Trust Fund and Resettlement

Julian Lewis Excerpts
Tuesday 16th December 2025

(1 day, 9 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Hamish Falconer Portrait Mr Falconer
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I thank my constituency neighbour for that question. The UK negotiations with the Mauritian Government have had the wishes of the Chagossian people very much at their heart. Some of the elements that I laid out in my response to the shadow Foreign Secretary are responses very much to the Chagossians themselves, including both the majority control of the board that will determine the nature of the trust fund, and the element about civil status documents and origin of birth. We will continue to talk to the Chagossian community about their wishes.

Julian Lewis Portrait Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)
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Is, in the Government’s opinion, Mauritius a free society, and what is the Government’s assessment of the nature of its relationship with communist China?

Hamish Falconer Portrait Mr Falconer
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These issues have been discussed at some length. Mauritius is obviously an important partner for us. I will leave it to the relevant Minister to provide a fuller commentary about the state of its relations with China.