To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will set out the technical assistance her Department will provide to Mauritius for the Marine Protected Area under Article 5 of the UK-Mauritius Treaty; and what the estimated (a) value and (b) cost of that support...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will set out the technical assistance her Department will provide to Mauritius for the Marine Protected Area under Article 5 of the UK-Mauritius Treaty; and what the estimated (a) value and (b) cost of that support...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she will consider the potential merits of commissioning a study of the environmental condition of the Marine Protected Area around the Chagos Archipelago prior to the transfer of sovereignty under the UK-Mauritius Treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she will consider the potential merits of commissioning a study of the environmental condition of the Marine Protected Area around the Chagos Archipelago prior to the transfer of sovereignty under the UK-Mauritius Treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a representative of the government of Mauritius enquired with her Department about visiting the Chagos Archipelago prior to sovereignty being transferred; and whether her Department has been asked to facilitate visits with third countries participating.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a representative of the government of Mauritius enquired with her Department about visiting the Chagos Archipelago prior to sovereignty being transferred; and whether her Department has been asked to facilitate visits with third countries participating.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department agreed with Mauritius that the UK would not be entitled to exercise sovereign rights and authorities with respect to Diego Garcia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department agreed with Mauritius that the UK would not be entitled to exercise sovereign rights and authorities with respect to Diego Garcia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Archipelago on national security, in the context of trends in the number public officials in Mauritius trained by China.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Archipelago on national security, in the context of trends in the number public officials in Mauritius trained by China.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when Ministers in her Department next plan to meet their Mauritian counterparts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when Ministers in her Department next plan to meet their Mauritian counterparts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what date he agreed to remove the provision to provide the UK with a unilateral right to extend the 99-year lease for the use of Diego Garcia from the draft UK-Mauritius Treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on what date he agreed to remove the provision to provide the UK with a unilateral right to extend the 99-year lease for the use of Diego Garcia from the draft UK-Mauritius Treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Article 5 of the treaty entitled UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), when he last discussed with his Mauritian counterpart the future of the Marine Protected Area around the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Article 5 of the treaty entitled UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), when he last discussed with his Mauritian counterpart the future of the Marine Protected Area around the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the government of Mauritius has requested a visit to (a) Diego Garcia, (b) Peros Banhos and (c) other islands on the Chagos Archipelago in 2025.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the government of Mauritius has requested a visit to (a) Diego Garcia, (b) Peros Banhos and (c) other islands on the Chagos Archipelago in 2025.

The additional spend I announced yesterday is for our capability on defence and security in Europe, as I made absolutely clear yesterday. The Chagos deal is extremely important for our security and for US security, and the US is rightly looking at it. When the deal is finalised, I will put it before the House with the costings. The figures being bandied around are absolutely wide of the mark. The deal is for well over a century. The funding I announced yesterday is for our capability, and will put us in a position to rise to a generational challenge. That is what that money is all about; I thought the right hon. Lady supported it.

The additional spend I announced yesterday is for our capability on defence and security in Europe, as I made absolutely clear yesterday. The Chagos deal is extremely important for our security and for US security, and the US is rightly looking at it. When the deal is finalised, I will put it before the House with the costings. The figures being bandied around are absolutely wide of the mark. The deal is for well over a century. The funding I announced yesterday is for our capability, and will put us in a position to rise to a generational challenge. That is what that money is all about; I thought the right hon. Lady supported it.

I have just dealt with that question, Mr Speaker. The money announced yesterday is going to our capability in order to put ourselves in a position to defend the security of both our country and Europe. The Leader of the Opposition asked about defence spending. She gave what people have described as a rambling speech yesterday, where she could not say what defence spending should be. We have been absolutely clear. We have set out a full, credible, costed plan, and I thought she supported it.

I have just dealt with that question, Mr Speaker. The money announced yesterday is going to our capability in order to put ourselves in a position to defend the security of both our country and Europe. The Leader of the Opposition asked about defence spending. She gave what people have described as a rambling speech yesterday, where she could not say what defence spending should be. We have been absolutely clear. We have set out a full, credible, costed plan, and I thought she supported it.

As I have said, when the deal is complete, I will put it before the House with the costings. The money yesterday was allocated to aid our capability and is the single biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war.

As I have said, when the deal is complete, I will put it before the House with the costings. The money yesterday was allocated to aid our capability and is the single biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war.

Q10

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Dr Kieran Mullan (Bexhill and Battle) (Con):

The whole House wants the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump to be a success, which requires credibility on our defence spending commitments. The Leader of the Opposition gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to rule out unambiguously funding any Chagos deal from the defence budget, but I am not clear that he did that. I want him to be taken seriously in Washington, so I will make it really easy for him: will he rule out funding any Chagos deal from the defence budget—yes or no?

Q10

.

Dr Kieran Mullan (Bexhill and Battle) (Con):

The whole House wants the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump to be a success, which requires credibility on our defence spending commitments. The Leader of the Opposition gave the Prime Minister the opportunity to rule out unambiguously funding any Chagos deal from the defence budget, but I am not clear that he did that. I want him to be taken seriously in Washington, so I will make it really easy for him: will he rule out funding any Chagos deal from the defence budget—yes or no?

This is an endeavour that we want to support the Prime Minister in, but we need to know exactly what we are supporting. We need clarity and transparency over the money, and we also need to know where the money is going. This morning, the Defence Secretary could not say whether the Chagos deal would come out of the defence budget. Can the Prime Minister confirm to the House that none of the defence uplift includes payments for his Chagos deal?

This is an endeavour that we want to support the Prime Minister in, but we need to know exactly what we are supporting. We need clarity and transparency over the money, and we also need to know where the money is going. This morning, the Defence Secretary could not say whether the Chagos deal would come out of the defence budget. Can the Prime Minister confirm to the House that none of the defence uplift includes payments for his Chagos deal?

We need to make sure we are supporting a plan that is clear and transparent. Yesterday, the Prime Minister set an ambition for defence spending to reach 3% in the next Parliament, and we agree with him on that. However, that could be 2034—almost a decade away. That is too slow. We do not know how he will pay for it. We cannot raise taxes further, and we already pay more on debt interest than defence.

Everyone in this House will have heard the Prime Minister not answer the previous question, so I will ask again: is he paying for the Chagos deal with this defence uplift or not?

We need to make sure we are supporting a plan that is clear and transparent. Yesterday, the Prime Minister set an ambition for defence spending to reach 3% in the next Parliament, and we agree with him on that. However, that could be 2034—almost a decade away. That is too slow. We do not know how he will pay for it. We cannot raise taxes further, and we already pay more on debt interest than defence.

Everyone in this House will have heard the Prime Minister not answer the previous question, so I will ask again: is he paying for the Chagos deal with this defence uplift or not?

What his planned timetable is for the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

What his planned timetable is for the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The Foreign Secretary has proudly said that his Chagos surrender plan was a good deal. He told the Foreign Affairs Committee back in November that it was “a very good deal”, and that he was

“confident that the Mauritians are still sure about that”.

Three weeks ago, the Prime Minister of Mauritius told his National Assembly that since his election, he had concluded the deal

“was so bad that we said, no way!”

and that he had extracted more concessions from the UK on the length of the lease, the extension on sovereignty and the cost. Can the Minister confirm that changes have been made since the announcement of the deal on 3 October last year, and does he disagree with the account given by the Prime Minister of Mauritius?

The Foreign Secretary has proudly said that his Chagos surrender plan was a good deal. He told the Foreign Affairs Committee back in November that it was “a very good deal”, and that he was

“confident that the Mauritians are still sure about that”.

Three weeks ago, the Prime Minister of Mauritius told his National Assembly that since his election, he had concluded the deal

“was so bad that we said, no way!”

and that he had extracted more concessions from the UK on the length of the lease, the extension on sovereignty and the cost. Can the Minister confirm that changes have been made since the announcement of the deal on 3 October last year, and does he disagree with the account given by the Prime Minister of Mauritius?

We remain committed to concluding a deal that protects the base on Diego Garcia. Without a deal, the base cannot operate in practical terms as it should in its important role protecting the security of this country, the United States and our allies. We are currently discussing the agreement with the US and Mauritius. We will not put a deadline on its finalisation, and will come to the House in due course.

We remain committed to concluding a deal that protects the base on Diego Garcia. Without a deal, the base cannot operate in practical terms as it should in its important role protecting the security of this country, the United States and our allies. We are currently discussing the agreement with the US and Mauritius. We will not put a deadline on its finalisation, and will come to the House in due course.