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

ConservativeRuislip, 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.