Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department held with the Mauritian Government on the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in (a) January 2009 and (b) July 2009.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The then government explained to Parliament in 2009 that the purpose of the meetings in 2009 was to establish a dialogue between the UK and Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory. Officials set out their respective views on the issue of sovereignty at that time. There were discussions on other issues, including fishing rights, environmental concerns, and future visits to the territory by members of the Chagossian community.
It was not until 2022, under the immediately preceding government, that negotiations regarding sovereignty began. That government then undertook 11 rounds of negotiations on sovereignty and related matters, with the last public update on progress being issued on 29 April 2024.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) she and (b) her immediate predecessor had discussions with their United States counterparts on the opt-out provisions applying to (i) Diego Garcia and (ii) the Chagos Islands as a whole as set out in (A) Article 298 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, (B) Article 48 of the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union and (C) the Commonwealth Reservation to the International Court of Justice.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's legal position regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory has been published and discussed at length in both Houses of Parliament. Our international partners are fully aware of our position and the security and operational implications. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the US-UK base and operations on Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she has had discussions with her United States counterpart the potential security implications of the existence of opt-outs in respect of (a) Diego Garcia and (b) the Chagos Islands under (i) Article 298 of UNCLOS, (ii) Article 428 of the International Telecommunication Union and (iii) the Commonwealth Reservation to the International Court of Justice on the future security of the Diego Garcia military base.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government's legal position regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory has been published and discussed at length in both Houses of Parliament. Our international partners are fully aware of our position and the security and operational implications. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the US-UK base and operations on Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Baroness Buscombe (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Prime Minister’s special envoy for negotiations regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory sovereignty dispute was aware of the 1966 Agreement (1) when negotiating in Washington DC on behalf of the UK Government during 2024 and 2025, and (2) when the agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago was signed on 22 May 2025.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the answer I provided on 22 December in response to Question HL12715, and I gently point out to her that the Government has always been aware of the Exchange of Letters to which I referred in that answer, even if they appear to have taken some Opposition parties by surprise.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Exchange of notes constituting an agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the availability for defence purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory, London, 30 December 1966 on the legal status of the Chagos Archipelago, including the term that “The Territory shall remain under United Kingdom sovereignty”.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The Agreement was tested at the highest levels of the United States' security establishment, across multiple agencies, and it has been backed by our key allies and international partners, including the US and all our Five Eyes partners. Talks are ongoing to update the UK-US Exchange of Letters on the operation of the Diego Garcia Base. There are no agreements with the Maldives that would impact the operation of the base.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the current and future responsibilities of the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory in light of the UK-Mauritius treaty on the Chagos Archipelago.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The responsibilities of the Commissioner are set out in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Constitution Order (2004). Clause 2 of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill will revoke this Order and the role will cease to exist on entry into force of the Diego Garcia treaty. Future governance arrangements for Diego Garcia, including any necessary Orders or Ordinances, will be made using the relevant powers in the Bill.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her (a) Indian and (b) Chinese counterparts on comments by the representatives of Mauritius on the lease of land in the Chagos Archipelago upon the ratification of the 2025 treaty on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The treaty contains robust provisions to protect the base, including a 24 nautical mile buffer zone around Diego Garcia and a ban on foreign security forces anywhere in the archipelago. Any suggestions that Mauritius has been negotiating a lease on Peros Banhos are false. This was confirmed by the Mauritian Attorney General in a public statement on 20 October 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 20 October 2025 to Questions (a) 81257 on Chagos Islands: Sovereignty and (b) 81258 on St Helena: British Nationals Abroad, what steps she is taking to implement (i) the commitment that entitled pensioners residing in St Helena receive unfrozen benefits from April and (ii) other provisions in the British Indian Ocean Territory Partnership Agreement, signed in October 2024.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is working together with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to address the complex considerations concerning the unfreezing of pensions for St Helena. I have recently met ministerial colleagues to discuss this issue again, and look forward to meeting the new Chief Minister soon to update them. We will update on progress in the usual way in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the full implementation of the British Indian Ocean Territory Partnership Agreement, signed in October 2024.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Further to the October 2024 Political Agreement, the UK/Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia was signed on 22 May. The UK is working closely with the US and Mauritius on the arrangements to implement this treaty.
An implementation Bill - 'The Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill', has been introduced and is progressing through Parliament in the usual way.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60010 on British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004 and with reference to the UK/Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to (a) amend and (b) repeal the British Indian Ocean Territory (Constitution) Order 2004.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The government introduced the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill on 15 July.