Contributions
1,614 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK-Mauritius TreatyWe are absolutely clear that we will retain full control over Diego Garcia, and will have robust provisions to keep adversaries out. There will be unrestricted access to and use…25 Feb 2025HANSARDUK-Mauritius TreatyThere are so many things in the hon. Gentleman’s question that I disagree with that I do not know quite where to start. We are not giving away the base on Diego Garcia—the deal…25 Feb 2025HANSARDUK-Mauritius TreatyWe remain committed to concluding a deal that protects the base on Diego Garcia. Without a deal, the base cannot operate in practical terms as it should in its important role…25 Feb 2025HANSARDUK-Mauritius TreatyThe fundamentals of the deal remain the same, and the overall quantum remains unchanged.25 Feb 2025HANSARDSyria: SanctionsToday I am updating the House on the future of the UK’s Syria sanctions regime following the welcome fall of Assad’s dictatorship late last year. Sanctions remain a powerful…13 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsOf course the House will have the right to make its decision in due course when legislation is put forward. That is only right and there will be ample scrutiny. The hon. Gentleman…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI simply do not accept the premise of the hon. Gentleman’s question. We will not scrimp on national security. We will invest in our national security, we will secure our bases and…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsThese negotiations are between the two Governments. There are a range of interests at play, and a range of Ministers have been involved in the negotiations. There are equities…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsThis House will have a final say on the deal, in the usual way for considering such measures. Legislation will be laid in due course. It is absolutely right that the United States…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the answer I gave a few moments ago. The comments of the Prime Minister of Mauritius are for him to make. As I said, there has been no…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsThere has been no change to the substance of the deal, nor to the overall quantum agreed. We will present it in due course so that it goes through the normal process of scrutiny…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsAgain, I refer to my previous statements. There has been no rush. We have been engaging with our Mauritian counterparts and the United States Administration, and we believe that…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI am not entirely sure what the right hon. Gentleman’s question is. If he is talking about the previous Government’s economic legacy to this one, we have a substantial…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI can tell the hon. Lady that the figure that she pulled out is categorically untrue. She had the answer in her question: she said “speculation”. There is a huge amount of…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsAs I have said, I am not going to give a running commentary on the discussions. What I will say is that the full details are being shared with the current US Administration, and…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsThe primary purpose here is national security and ensuring the functioning of the base, but the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise the issue of the Chagossians and…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI can absolutely confirm that there will be no change in the operations of the base. That is the basis on which this agreement is founded, along with all the provisions and…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI have answered that question on a number of occasions. Mauritius is one of the few African countries not to join the belt and road initiative—its alliance is with India—and we…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsI have explained on a number of occasions, and the last Government knew the reasons, why it was necessary to proceed with a deal to secure the future operation of the base—that…05 Feb 2025HANSARDChagos IslandsAs we have said repeatedly, the base was not on a sustainable footing. This deal puts it on a sustainable footing.05 Feb 2025