“How much and what proportion of the funding due to be allocated to Mauritius as part of the agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago will come from his Department.”
Asked by
David Reed
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
Answer from Hansard
The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty)
The Diego Garcia military base deal secures the future of the strategically critical US-UK military base. It will protect our national security for generations and ensure we maintain vital capabilities. It is our most significant contribution to the transatlantic defence and security partnership. It has been strengthened since our agreement with the previous Mauritian Government and, indeed, from the deal under discussion by the previous Government. The payments will be split between the FCDO and the Ministry of Defence, and published in the usual way. The Opposition understand the jeopardy facing the base and the necessity of the treaty, which is why they started negotiating in the first place.