Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they will pay per annum to lease Diego Garcia; and what is the expected total cost of the financial support that the UK has agreed to give to Mauritius, including any cost of annual payments.

The agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty which the Government intends to complete over the coming months. Further details will remain confidential until the final version of the Treaty has been signed by both sides. Details of financial arrangements are held in the confidential exchange of letters that accompanies the draft treaty, which we do not plan to make public unless compelled to by parliament in due course. While we continue to finalise the treaty, making these figures public would put into question our reliability as a negotiating partner and undermine the security of the base.