Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March to Question 231378 on British Indian Ocean Territory, what assessment he has made of the contribution to regional and global security of the Outer Islands of the Chagos Archipelago.
The Outer Islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory are integral to the effective operation of the UK/US defence facility on Diego Garcia, which is used by the UK and our allies to combat some of the most challenging threats to regional and international security, including those from terrorism, organised crime, instability and piracy.