Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assurances they sought from the government of Mauritius during negotiations on the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands; and what commitments were made.

The agreement announced by the UK and Mauritius on 3 October concerning the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago is subject to the finalisation of a treaty. Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the detail of the Treaty prior to ratification, in the usual way.