Oral QuestionForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office

“If she will suspend the process to ratify the UK-Mauritius Treaty.”

Tabled: 15 April 2026Answered: 21 April 2026

Asked by

David Simmonds

Conservative — Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner

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)

As I have said many times in this House, Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for the United Kingdom, the United States and our allies, and ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority. We remain confident that the UK-Mauritius treaty is the best way to defend the future of the base. We are obviously disappointed with the delay, which I set out the other day, but we will continue to work with the United States and Mauritius on the way forward.