Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill

Oliver Dowden Excerpts

2nd reading
Tuesday 9th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Luke Pollard]

To be fair, I will give way to one Opposition Member, and then I will make some progress. I give way to the former Deputy Prime Minister.

[Sir Oliver Dowden (Hertsmere) (Con)]

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his appointment. I had not intended to intervene so early, but I will, given that the record of the previous Government has come up. Can he confirm whether it is the case, as was the position under the previous Government, that we will retain sovereignty after 99 years on a rolling basis? Can he confirm the basis on which he is compensating the Mauritians, because it certainly was not the case that the last Government would have agreed to a remotely similar sum being paid? On this, as on so many other measures, there is an enormous gap between the negotiating position set out under the last Government and the total capitulation by Labour when they came into office.

[Luke Pollard]

To borrow a phrase, if the right hon. Member shows me his, I will show him mine. The whole point is that our deal is published. If he would like to go into the files and dig out his deal and publish it, we would be able to see where this deal has enhanced those protections, secured the operation of the base and got a better deal for the British people. I would be very happy if he would like to go into his files and publish the deal.

[Luke Pollard]

I will come back to the former Deputy Prime Minister and then I will make some progress.

[Sir Oliver Dowden]

The Minister invites me to respond to him. He needs to appreciate that there is an enormous difference between a tough negotiating position in the British national interest and the capitulation of the Government’s deal.

[Luke Pollard]

I do not think the right hon. Gentleman wants to show me his draft deal, and there is a very good reason for that: this deal, this treaty and this Bill improve on that deal.