Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the British Indian Ocean Territory in the last three months.

The UK and Mauritius have reiterated that any agreement between our two countries will ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK-US military facility on Diego Garcia. The UK Government is in regular contact with the US on a range of topics related to the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago, including the sovereignty negotiations. The US fully supports the process of bilateral negotiations.