Chagos Islands: Sovereignty
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Article 11 and Letter No.1 of the Exchange of letters concerning implementation and interpretation of Article 11 of the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia, dated 22 May 2025, of the document entitled UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), what estimate he has made of the (a) annual rate of the GDP deflator in each of the next 99 years and (b) annual payments in each of the next 99 years; and if he will set out which budget will (i) capitalise the Chagossian Trust Fund, (ii) fund the 25 year economic partnership and (iii) fund the establishment of the Mauritius Marine Protected Area.
Answered by Stephen Doughty
As stated in the explanatory memorandum laid alongside the treaty, the UK government uses the Office for Budgetary Responsibility forecast GDP Deflator in its calculation of future expected payment values. The average annual payments across the length of the Agreement in 2025-26 prices is £101 million. The budget for payments made under the UK-Mauritius Agreement will come from both the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
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