FAC to examine Chagos Agreement with Minister Stephen Doughty
The Foreign Affairs Committee will examine the Chagos Agreement in a session with the Minister of State for Overseas Territories, Stephen Doughty on Monday 23 June.
Meeting details
Negotiations on a Treaty between the UK and Mauritius began in 2024 by then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and were finalised in January 2025 by the current UK Government. The Agreement will see the UK Government pay Mauritius an average of £101 million per year for 99 years to secure the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, an island in the Chagos archipelago.
This session will provide MPs on the cross-party Committee an opportunity to scrutinise the text of the Treaty, with questions likely to explore the advantages and disadvantages of the agreement. MPs could also examine issues surrounding the agreed payments outlined in the Treaty.
As the UK shifts towards war-fighting readiness, the Committee is likely to consider how the Treaty impacts the use of Diego Garcia as a military base. Questions could also address environmental concerns and explore whether the current Treaty scrutiny process simply results in Parliament providing a rubber stamp.