Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 February 2026. It was answered by Stephen Doughty (Labour) on Monday, 9 February 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Chagos Islands: Sovereignty

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the policy reasons why his Department commenced negotiations with the Government of Mauritius on the sovereignty of a) Diego Garcia and b) the wider Chagos Archipelago in 2009.

Answer: In 2009/10 interactions between the UK and Mauritius focussed on the creation of the Marine Protected Area (MPA), which the UK declared in 2010 and which Mauritius objected to. It was not until 2022, under the previous government, that negotiations regarding sovereignty began.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 109314
Session: 2024-26
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Transferred: Yes
Subjects: Mauritius Ministry of Defence Diego Garcia Sovereignty Chagos Islands
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk