Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Chagos Archipelago: Sovereignty

Tuesday 24 June 2025 · 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The draft agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos islands to Mauritius was altered between October 2024 and May 2025.
  • The UK Department assessed the potential impact of the treaty with Mauritius on the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago.
  • The funding due to be allocated to Mauritius as part of the agreement concerning the Chagos archipelago averages 101 million over the course of the deal.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Hayes Con South Holland and The Deepings
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP questioned the necessity of a deal with Mauritius to secure UK-US military base access, disputing government claims about international bodies' influence.

Question

What changes were made to the draft agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos islands to Mauritius between October 2024 and May 2025?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I thoroughly reject that statement by the right hon. Gentleman. He knows that I have a lot of respect for him, but I am afraid that he is completely mistaken on this. The fact is that the courts were already making decisions that undermined our position, legally binding provisional measures could have come within weeks, affecting the operational ability of the base to function as it was, and we believe that an inevitable binding judgment would have followed. The deal has been done and this House is now scrutinising it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked for changes made to the draft agreement between specific dates; the Minister addressed a broader context of legal challenges without specifying changes.

How: Addressed Context But Not Specifics, Challenging Questioner'S Assumption

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Q2 Stuart Anderson Con South Shropshire
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP inquired about the Department's assessment of potential impacts from a treaty with Mauritius concerning sovereignty.

Question

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the treaty with Mauritius on the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago on the UK?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary has made absolutely clear, there was no UK involvement in the US strikes on Iran. The hon. Gentleman will understand that we do not comment on private conversations with our allies or on hypothetical operations.

Not addressed: The MP asked about impacts of a treaty; the Minister discussed unrelated matters involving military actions and confidentiality.

How: Changed Subject, Discussed Irrelevant Topic

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Q3 David Reed Con Exmouth and Exeter East
Context

The MP sought details on the funding to be allocated to Mauritius as part of an agreement concerning the Chagos archipelago.

Question

How much and what proportion of the funding due to be allocated to Mauritius as part of the agreement concerning the Chagos archipelago will come from his Department?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I have set out the costs very clearly. They average out at £101 million over the course of the deal. That compares very favourably with, for example, what France pays for its military facility in Djibouti. This treaty has been entered into in good faith by the UK and Mauritius, it will be legally binding, and we are absolutely clear that it is compliant with international law and all our other obligations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked for specific departmental funding details; the Minister provided overall costs but not specifics of departmental contributions.

How: Discussed General Cost Estimates, Did Not Provide Precise Figures

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