Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Mauritian counterpart on the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the Mauritian Prime Minister on 23 July to discuss the continuation of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago.

On 3 October the UK and Mauritius reached a political agreement on the sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) / Chagos Archipelago. This agreement secures the effective operation of the vital UK-US military base on Diego Garcia well into the next century. Following Mauritian elections, the Government will move towards Treaty signature and ratification.