Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take in respect of the recommendations in paragraph 41 of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's concluding observations on the 21st to 23rd periodic report, published on 26 August 2016, on facilitating the resettlement of the Chagossians.

The Government is aware of the recommendations of the Committee of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in respect to the resettlement of Chagossians. Ratification of the Convention has not been extended to the British Indian Ocean Territory and such questions remain outside the remit of the Committee. The Government remains committed to its review of current policy on resettlement and will continue to keep Parliament, Chagossians and their supporters closely informed of progress on the issue.