Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 24 October (HL1546), whether they discussed the marine protected area of the Chagos Islands during their negotiations with the government of Mauritius; and if so, what assurances were given.

The negotiations covered discussions on environmental protections in the Chagos Archipelago, including of the Marine Protected Area. The UK and Mauritius committed to cooperating on combatting environmental threats such as illegal fishing, with a shared objective of protecting one of the world's most important marine environments. This will include the establishment of a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area.