Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many officials from her Department with responsibility for the British Indian Ocean Territory are working a) within the British Indian Ocean Territory, b) from her Department's main building and c) from home remotely.

The British Indian Ocean Territory is constitutionally distinct and separate from the UK. It is administered by the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration (BIOTA). The Commissioner is based in the UK and is supported by around 40 staff split between the UK and the Territory. In addition, there are currently around 13 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office staff working on all aspects of BIOT policy, all of whom are based in the UK.