Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her policy is on the (a) amelioration and (b) cancellation of high-interest debts incurred by low-income countries; and what steps she plans to take to implement that policy in the context of the 2027 meeting of the G20.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Supporting developing countries to tackle unsustainable debt is a key priority of this government. Debt servicing costs are at their highest for 25 years and are crowding out vital investments in growth and development. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works closely with HM Treasury to support countries facing high debt burdens and struggling to finance their development priorities, with the Chancellor recently launching the London Coalition, which brings together public and private creditors to support more sustainable financing in developing economies.
This Government recognises the importance of a broad range of perspectives in addressing debt challenges, and we welcome the valuable contribution of the Jubilee Report to those discussions. More broadly, we commend the pioneering work of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), both in terms of the life-changing support it delivers through its partners in developing countries, and its advocacy and campaigning for long-term systemic change through measures such as debt relief. The Minister of State for International Development met the CAFOD Chief Executive and African inter faith leaders in December 2025 to discuss these and other issues.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of high-interest debt repayments by low-income countries on the ability of those countries to provide adequate (a) healthcare, (b) education and (c) humanitarian services.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Supporting developing countries to tackle unsustainable debt is a key priority of this government. Debt servicing costs are at their highest for 25 years and are crowding out vital investments in growth and development. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works closely with HM Treasury to support countries facing high debt burdens and struggling to finance their development priorities, with the Chancellor recently launching the London Coalition, which brings together public and private creditors to support more sustainable financing in developing economies.
This Government recognises the importance of a broad range of perspectives in addressing debt challenges, and we welcome the valuable contribution of the Jubilee Report to those discussions. More broadly, we commend the pioneering work of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), both in terms of the life-changing support it delivers through its partners in developing countries, and its advocacy and campaigning for long-term systemic change through measures such as debt relief. The Minister of State for International Development met the CAFOD Chief Executive and African inter faith leaders in December 2025 to discuss these and other issues.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has received from the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development on the effects of global debt on low-income countries; and what action she plans to take in response to such representations.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Supporting developing countries to tackle unsustainable debt is a key priority of this government. Debt servicing costs are at their highest for 25 years and are crowding out vital investments in growth and development. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works closely with HM Treasury to support countries facing high debt burdens and struggling to finance their development priorities, with the Chancellor recently launching the London Coalition, which brings together public and private creditors to support more sustainable financing in developing economies.
This Government recognises the importance of a broad range of perspectives in addressing debt challenges, and we welcome the valuable contribution of the Jubilee Report to those discussions. More broadly, we commend the pioneering work of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), both in terms of the life-changing support it delivers through its partners in developing countries, and its advocacy and campaigning for long-term systemic change through measures such as debt relief. The Minister of State for International Development met the CAFOD Chief Executive and African inter faith leaders in December 2025 to discuss these and other issues.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of (a) the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Paul Bérenger in Mauritius and (b) his allegations of corruption.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
None of the issues raised by the Rt Hon Member are matters for the UK Government, and none of them have any bearing on the future status of the Diego Garcia base, or the treaty negotiated with Mauritius.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the timing of the public commentary by the government of Mauritius on the Iranian missile attack on Diego Garcia.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
None of the issues raised by the Rt Hon Member are matters for the UK Government, and none of them have any bearing on the future status of the Diego Garcia base, or the treaty negotiated with Mauritius.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her Mauritian counterpart on the arrest of the former Prime Minister of that country in relation to money laundering issues.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
These legal proceedings are a matter for the Mauritian authorities.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost was of deploying a patrol vessel and personnel for the interception at sea of humanitarian aid for British Chagossian resettlers on 11 April 2026; and whether any personnel involved in that operation were deployed to the Chagos Archipelago from (a) the United Kingdom and (b) any other British jurisdiction for that mission.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is her policy to prevent the provision of (a) mosquito nets, (b) sunglasses and (c) water purifying systems from entering the British Indian Ocean Territory on vessels visiting the Chagos Archipelago to resupply the British Chagossians encamped there.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
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: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the purpose is of the visit to Mauritius by UK officials on 22 April 2026; and what the principal subjects to be discussed are.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 13 February in response to Question 110763.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands being ceded to Mauritius on (a) observance of and (b) the operation of AFCONE’s inspection regime for enforcing the Pelindaba Treaty; and whether her Department has raised these matters with counterparts in the United States.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 February to Question 109503 on the same issue.