Written question asked by John Hayes (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 16 April 2026. It was answered by Stephen Doughty (Labour) on Wednesday, 22 April 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, whether her department has undertaken polling of the Chagossian people in respect to the 2025 UK/Mauritius Treaty concerning the Chagos Archipelago.

Answer: Accurate polling of Chagossian communities would be challenging given the geographical spread of individuals with Chagossian heritage across the world as well as difficulties in establishing and confirming eligibility to take part. We continue to engage with Chagossian communities, including through meetings of the Chagossian Contact Group, which enables organisations from the UK, Mauritius, Seychelles and France to set out their views directly to the UK Government.

Secondary information