Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

British Indian Ocean Territory

Tuesday 12 December 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Foreign Secretary has not met the Mauritian counterpart but the Prime Minister discussed the matter with the Mauritian Prime Minister at the G20 in September.
  • The UK is cooperating with the US in negotiations concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory and aims to protect the base on Diego Garcia.
  • The Government is working with Mauritius to negotiate in good faith while protecting national, regional, and global interests.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Daniel Kawczynski Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from discussions regarding the negotiations on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, particularly in relation to meetings with Mauritian counterparts.

Question

What recent discussions has he had with his counterpart in Mauritius on the negotiations on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory?

Answer from David Rutley

The Foreign Secretary has not yet had a chance to meet his Mauritian counterpart. However, the Prime Minister met the Mauritian Prime Minister at the G20 in September to assess the state of negotiations. They welcomed the progress made and agreed to meet again soon.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Foreign Secretary has not yet had a chance to meet his Mauritian counterpart, but there is no concrete information on recent discussions.

How: The Prime Minister Met The Mauritian Prime Minister At The G20 In September

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Q2 Daniel Kawczynski Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question stems from dissatisfaction with the Foreign Office's handling of negotiations regarding the British Indian Ocean Territory, particularly concerning the treatment of indigenous people and the impact on national security.

Question

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer, but in my 18 years of loyal service as a Conservative Member of Parliament, I have never been more disappointed, alarmed and angry about the conduct of the Foreign Office. In this matter, it is negotiating in a neocolonialistic way with Mauritius—an entity that is over 2,000 km away from the British Indian Ocean Territory—without consulting the indigenous people, the Chagossians, whom we expelled in 1968 to make way for an American air force base. The time has come for us to respect the right of self-determination and ensure that the Chagossians are allowed to return to the British Indian Ocean Territory, and for them to decide the future of those islands, rather than handing them to the Chinese client and puppet state of Mauritius, which would be highly counterintuitive to our AUKUS commitments.

Answer from David Rutley

The UK has been working in close co-operation with the US since negotiations began in November 2022, and it supports our approach. The UK, the US and Mauritius have all made clear that protecting the base on Diego Garcia, including by preventing foreign malign influence, is a top priority. We will ensure that any agreement achieves that. It is in our national interest and that of our partners, and it is vital for regional and global security.

Not addressed: The response does not address the specific concerns about respecting Chagossians' rights or returning them to their homeland.

How: Protecting The Base On Diego Garcia, Including By Preventing Foreign Malign Influence, Is A Top Priority

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Q3 Patrick Grady SNP
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question addresses the Government's approach to international law, particularly concerning their disregard for decisions handed down by the International Court of Justice regarding the Chagos islands.

Question

The Government are preparing to disregard international law with their Rwanda Bill today. They seem to continue to want to disregard international law in the case of decisions handed down by the International Court of Justice and other international bodies with regard to the Chagos islands. If the UK Government will not live up to their international obligations and the findings of international bodies, how with any credibility can they ask other countries to do the same?

Answer from David Rutley

We are working closely with the relevant Government—with Mauritius, as I have said—to take forward those negotiations. They are being taken forward in good faith, notwithstanding the need to protect our national, regional and global interests at the same time.

Not addressed: The response does not address how the UK can demand adherence to international law from others while disregarding it themselves.

How: We Are Working Closely With The Relevant Government—With Mauritius, As I Have Said—To Take Forward Those Negotiations

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