Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in Mauritius regarding (a) its claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, (b) transfer of the Outer Islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius and (c) the right to return and resettle for the Chagossian community, following the recent scientific expedition under a Mauritian flag to those islands.

In November 2016, the UK Government announced that resettlement of Chagossians could not be supported on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests and cost to the British taxpayer. There remains no right of abode in BIOT.

The UK is currently delivering an approximately £40 million ($50 million) Chagossian Support Package over a ten year period, to improve Chagossian livelihoods in the communities where they now live: in Mauritius, the Seychelles and the UK.

As close friends and Commonwealth partners we remain open to dialogue with Mauritius on issues of mutual interest, including BIOT and its Marine Protected Area (MPA). The UK has no doubt as to our sovereignty over BIOT, which we have held continuously since 1814.