UK-Mauritius Chagos Agreement 2025-06-30
2025-06-30
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Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The cost of the UK-Mauritius agreement is less than 0.2% of the annual MOD budget.
What estimate has been made of the cost to his Department of the UK-Mauritius agreement concerning the Chagos archipelago, including Diego Garcia? Does the £30 billion count towards the new NATO target of 3.5%, or the additional 1.5% on top of that? As we have to inform the Mauritian Government before we do anything particularly useful from that base, should that cost actually be counted in the defence numbers at all?
As the Defence Secretary has said, the cost of the agreement represents less than 0.2% of the annual MOD budget. This has secured unrestricted access to and use of the base on Diego Garcia, control over movement of all persons and goods on the base, and control of all communications and electronic systems. Under the treaty, we have to provide notification after the event, not before any military action.
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Assessment & feedback
The cost inclusion in NATO targets was not addressed directly.
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Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The Minister has noted that closest allies have welcomed the deal.
Is it not the case that our closest allies—the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even India—have all welcomed this deal, precisely because they recognise the irreplaceable role of Diego Garcia in global security? What does the Minister think is going on with the Opposition, who think they know more about global security than the security services, the White House and the Pentagon?
This is important because the future of Diego Garcia is absolutely vital. Having accepted the principle that sovereignty could be secured only by a negotiated settlement—that was the decision taken by the last Government—it is right that we secured a deal, and right that we protect the base for operations for more than 100 years.
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Assessment & feedback
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Response accuracy