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To ask His Majesty's Government whether any amendments to the 1966 Exchange of Notes between the UK and the USA in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory will be subject to parliamentary approval under Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any amendments to the 1966 Exchange of Notes between the UK and the USA in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory will be subject to parliamentary approval under Part 2 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
Once an updated agreement with the US has been finalised, we will set out the process for bringing that agreement into force, according to the appropriate procedures.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether ministers have instructed officials to act in accordance with the terms of the 2025 UK-Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia as though it had been ratified.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether ministers have instructed officials to act in accordance with the terms of the 2025 UK-Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia as though it had been ratified.
No.
My Lords, the Minister has been entirely consistent. On Tuesday, she told the House that, should Denmark wish to enter into a negotiation about the future of Greenland, it is free to do so, with the consent of the people of Greenland. She said it again today and I agree with her; she is right. However, can she explain to the House why that impeccable logic does not apply to the people of the Chagos Islands, who were not even consulted before their homeland was surrendered to Mauritius?
My Lords, the Minister has been entirely consistent. On Tuesday, she told the House that, should Denmark wish to enter into a negotiation about the future of Greenland, it is free to do so, with the consent of the people of Greenland. She said it again today and I agree with her; she is right. However, can she explain to the House why that impeccable logic does not apply to the people of the Chagos Islands, who were not even consulted before their homeland was surrendered to Mauritius?
I have explained to the noble Lord the issue of the right to self-determination countless times, and I refer the noble Lord to my previous seven or eight answers.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any extant agreements, notes or exchanges of letters with the government of the Maldives that impact the governance of the British Indian Ocean Territory or the treaty with Mauritius.
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any extant agreements, notes or exchanges of letters with the government of the Maldives that impact the governance of the British Indian Ocean Territory or the treaty with Mauritius.
The Agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The Agreement was tested at the highest levels of the United States' security establishment, across multiple agencies, and it has been backed by our key allies and international partners, including the US and all our Five Eyes partners. Talks are ongoing to update the UK-US Exchange of Letters on the operation of the Diego Garcia Base. There are no agreements with the Maldives that would impact the operation of the base.
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Exchange of notes constituting an agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the availability for defence purposes of...
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Exchange of notes constituting an agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America concerning the availability for defence purposes of...
The Agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The Agreement was tested at the highest levels of the United States' security establishment, across multiple agencies, and it has been backed by our key allies and international partners, including the US and all our Five Eyes partners. Talks are ongoing to update the UK-US Exchange of Letters on the operation of the Diego Garcia Base. There are no agreements with the Maldives that would impact the operation of the base.
Lords motion to resolve, in accordance with section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and in the light of concerns about the cost of the agreement, the absence of any legal requirement to conclude such an agreement, its impact on international security, and the lack of meaningful consultation of the Chagossian people, and recognising the right of Chagossians to be registered as British Overseas Territory citizens under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, that His Majesty's Government should not ratify the Agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, laid before the House on 22 May. Disagreed to on division (185 to 205).
Lords motion to resolve, in accordance with section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and in the light of concerns about the cost of the agreement, the absence of any legal requirement to conclude such an agreement, its impact on international security, and the lack of meaningful...
I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer. It is disappointing that the Government seem determined to proceed with this dreadful surrender
policy. It is worth remembering that this whole sorry saga originates from an advisory, non-legally binding ICJ opinion from a panel of judges—including those from Russia and China, who unsurprisingly were fully supportive of the UK giving up its sovereignty of a key strategic asset. Is the Minister not even a little embarrassed at having to find painful cuts in her new overseas aid budget to fund essential extra defence spending, only to then see £18 billion of that funding wasted on leasing back an asset that we already own?
I am grateful to the Minister for that Answer. It is disappointing that the Government seem determined to proceed with this dreadful surrender
policy. It is worth remembering that this whole sorry saga originates from an advisory, non-legally binding ICJ opinion from a panel of judges—including those from Russia and China, who unsurprisingly were fully supportive of the UK giving up its sovereignty of a key strategic asset. Is the Minister not even a little embarrassed at having to find painful cuts in her new overseas aid budget to fund essential extra defence spending, only to then see £18 billion of that funding wasted on leasing back an asset that we already own?
What I am embarrassed by is that we inherited such a mess in our overseas development spend, with asylum accommodation being paid for by our development spend, and an Army that had been neglected—the smallest Army since Napoleon. That is what we inherited. That is what he ought to be ashamed of.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the government of Mauritius reopening negotiations on the Chagos Islands.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the government of Mauritius reopening negotiations on the Chagos Islands.
My Lords, as we and Mauritius have repeatedly said, including in joint statements on 20 December and 13 January, both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos archipelago which protects the long-term effective operation of the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia. Although it is in everyone’s interest to progress the deal quickly, we have never put an exact date on it and we do not intend to. Following signature, the Government will bring forward a Bill to enable implementation of the treaty, and Parliament will have the opportunity to scrutinise the treaty before ratification.
My Lords, perhaps we failed to get there because it was not the right deal for the UK. Has the Minister had the chance to read last week’s excellent Policy Exchange report on this Chagos handover? She says that she has. The forward to that report say that
“our overseas military bases—so indispensable to British national security—are an invaluable currency. So too is the strength and depth of our relationship with the United States.
For reasons that are difficult to fathom, the Government risks jeopardising both of these assets as it apparently remains determined to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands—the home of our … Diego Garcia military base—to Mauritius”.
That foreword was written by the noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead, a former Labour Defence Minister. Does she agree with her noble friend?
My Lords, perhaps we failed to get there because it was not the right deal for the UK. Has the Minister had the chance to read last week’s excellent Policy Exchange report on this Chagos handover? She says that she has. The forward to that report say that
“our overseas military bases—so indispensable to British national security—are an invaluable currency. So too is the strength and depth of our relationship with the United States.
For reasons that are difficult to fathom, the Government risks jeopardising both of these assets as it apparently remains determined to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands—the home of our … Diego Garcia military base—to Mauritius”.
That foreword was written by the noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead, a former Labour Defence Minister. Does she agree with her noble friend?
I think noble Lords will be pleased to know that I have not had time to read the foreword to that Policy Exchange document. It is our view, which we maintain, that we needed to resolve this issue. We prioritised security and defence when we made our decisions. That is the UK Government’s position. We have secured an arrangement with the Mauritians that we believe guarantees the security of that base. We continue with the process towards the signing of that treaty.
As the Minister has just confirmed, in 1967 the then Labour Government forcibly evicted 1,700 Chagossian people from Diego Garcia. Can the Minister tell us precisely how many of them or their descendants, now here in the UK, were consulted before the Government took the decision to hand over the islands to Mauritius?
As the Minister has just confirmed, in 1967 the then Labour Government forcibly evicted 1,700 Chagossian people from Diego Garcia. Can the Minister tell us precisely how many of them or their descendants, now here in the UK, were consulted before the Government took the decision to hand over the islands to Mauritius?
My Lords, we have engaged for a long time with Chagossian communities. This was a decision made between Governments, and the noble Lord will know that it is Governments who negotiate international treaties. It is right that we offer citizenship to Chagossians who want it, and a trust fund will be set up for Chagossians. As I have said, they will have the right to return to the other islands and the right to visit Diego Garcia.
Lords report stage first day. Amendment 2 to amendment 1 agreed to on division (245 to 154). Amendment 1, as amended, agreed to. Amendments 5, 9 and 13 agreed to. Amendment 15 (new clause) agreed to on division (222 to 154). Amendments 24, 26, 27, 29 agreed to. (Part 1 of 2).
Lords report stage first day. Amendment 2 to amendment 1 agreed to on division (245 to 154). Amendment 1, as amended, agreed to. Amendments 5, 9 and 13 agreed to. Amendment 15 (new clause) agreed to on division (222 to 154). Amendments 24, 26, 27, 29 agreed to. (Part 1...
Lords report stage second day. Amendment to leave out clause 37 (Arrangements with EU about unaccompanied children seeking asylum) agreed to on division (300 votes to 220). New clause, after clause 37, (Non-regression of EU-derived rights and protections), debated and withdrawn. Amendment to clause 38 (Parliamentary sovereignty) agreed to on division (239 votes to 235). Other amendments debated and withdrawn, or not moved. Part 2 of 2.
Lords report stage second day. Amendment to leave out clause 37 (Arrangements with EU about unaccompanied children seeking asylum) agreed to on division (300 votes to 220). New clause, after clause 37, (Non-regression of EU-derived rights and protections), debated and withdrawn. Amendment to clause 38 (Parliamentary sovereignty) agreed to on...
Lords committee stage third day. New clauses, after clause 37, debated and withdrawn. Clauses 38 to 40 agreed to. New clause, after clause 40, debated and withdrawn. Clauses 41 and 42 agreed to. Schedules 1 to 5 agreed to. Bill reported without amendment. Part 2 of 2.
Lords committee stage third day. New clauses, after clause 37, debated and withdrawn. Clauses 38 to 40 agreed to. New clause, after clause 40, debated and withdrawn. Clauses 41 and 42 agreed to. Schedules 1 to 5 agreed to. Bill reported without amendment. Part 2 of 2.