Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on the cost of the new settlement with the Chagos Islands to the (a) UK and (b) US.

This historic agreement protects the long-term secure operation of the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, which plays such a crucial role in regional and international security.

The base is a joint UK-US facility and is an essential part of the UK-US defence relationship. Discussions between the Secretary of State and his US counterpart will continue to cover all aspects of the future operation of the base.