Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the military and security impact of negotiations between the UK and Mauritius on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory; and what is the timeline for these negotiations.

The UK and Mauritius have held 12 rounds of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Whilst it is too early to speculate on timelines or conclusions, our priority remains to resolve this important issue and ensure that any agreement protects the long-term effective and secure operation of the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia.