Written question asked by William Cash (Conservative) on Tuesday, 22 June 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 28 June 2004. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Monday, 28 June 2004 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the British Government's agreement in principle to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius when they are no longer needed for defence purposes; and if he will make a statement. - Inc fact that info placed in Library.

Answer: Mr. Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the British Government's agreement in principle to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius when they are no longer needed for defence purposes; and if he will make a statement. [180517] Mr. Rammell: The assurance that the Chagos islands will be ceded to Mauritius when they are no longer needed for defence purposes was first given to the Mauritius Government in September 1965, at the same time as the Mauritius Government agreed to the detachment of the islands from Mauritius for the purpose of their incorporation into the British Indian ocean territory. The assurance has since been repeated on numerous occasions, both direct to the Mauritius Government, and in the United Nations and other fora, most recently by the United Kingdom representative in the General Assembly of the United Nations on 24 September 2003. I am placing a copy of the statement in the Library of the House.

Secondary information