Written Question·Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office·UIN 64734

Diego Garcia: Military Bases

Tabled: 3 July 2025
Answered: 15 July 2025

Question

Priti Patel

ConservativeWitham

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the earlier draft of the UK-Mauritius Treaty from October 2024 gave the UK a unilateral right to extend the lease after the initial 99 year period.

Answer

Stephen Doughty
As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement to Parliament in October 2024, the UK negotiated a right to extend the duration of the Treaty beyond 99 years. This was subsequently included in Article 13 of the Treaty.