Every parliamentary written question tabled by Mark Francois this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 81–93 of 93 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy that the proposed leaseback for Diego Garcia is renewable.
The existing policy is, and will remain, that the agreement will have a duration of 99 years from entry into force, extendable with the agreement of both parties and the first right of refusal.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 25990 on Cabinet Office: British Indian Ocean Territory, if the will make it his policy to publish costs of the Prime Minister's Envoy before the conclusion of the agreement.
The publication of the costs of the Prime Minister's Envoy are part of wider policy on Ministerial Appointments and the decision is not contingent on the conclusion of the agreement. The timing of the decision will not therefore be linked to that of the agreement.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the projected financial commitments within the revised agreement with Mauritius on the Chagos Islands including adjustments for (a) inflation and (b) exchange rate fluctuations.
Once the treaty is signed it will be put before both Houses for scrutiny before ratification in the usual way.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the cost to the public purse is of negotiations with the Government of Mauritius over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands since 5 July 2024.
Costs, including those of staffing, legal counsel, travel and accommodation and other expenses arising from the negotiations have been incorporated into the budgets of those Departments involved in the negotiations. There has been no central aggregation of those costs.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total cost of (a) travel and (b) accommodation was for the Special Envoy for the Chagos negotiations during those negotiations.
It remains our intention to decide on publication of costs associated with Jonathan Powell's role as the Prime Minister's BIOT Envoy at a later date.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the content is of his response of 16 December 2024 to the Mauritian counterproposals to the UK/Mauritius draft agreement.
In a joint statement on 20 December, both the UK and Mauritius committed to finalising an agreement on the exercise of sovereignty over BIOT/Chagos as quickly as possible. It would not be appropriate to give a running commentary of ongoing engagement with...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Indian government on (a) British Sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, (b) the operation of Indian base
The Foreign Secretary last spoke to Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on 25 November 2024 about a range of issues, including BIOT. UK officials also regularly engage with the Indian government about the agreement. Our primary goal in negotiation...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the transfer of sovereignty over Diego Garcia to Mauritius on restrictions on the (a) storage, (b) deployme
Our primary goal within the Agreement is to protect the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a crucial role in regional and international security. Our approach will ensure the operation of the base will continue unchanged with strong pr...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Mauritius on (a) Mauritius' policy on nuclear weapons and (b) the future operation of the military base in Diego Garcia.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the then Mauritian Prime Minister in London on 23 July. The political agreement between the Prime Minister and then Mauritian Prime Minister was reached on 3 October. The new Mauritian Prime Minister has since ...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on the potential impact of transferring sovereignty over Diego Garcia on existing agreements on (a) nuclear capa
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with Secretary Blinken on a range of issues, including the British Indian Ocean Territory / Chagos Archipelago.We look forward to continuing to engage with the current and incoming US Administrations in the usua...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has negotiated legal agreements with Mauritius that preserve the operational freedom of the military base on Diego Garcia in relation to nuclear-relate
Our primary goal within the Agreement is to protect the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a crucial role in regional and international security. Our approach will ensure the operation of the base will continue unchanged with strong pr...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the participation of Mauritius in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and (b) sections on (i) military cooperat
53 African countries, including Mauritius, attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). China made a range of high-level commitments as part of the Forum's Beijing Action Plan. As with previous FOCAC commitments we will monitor their implementa...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of (a) Mauritius' participation in the Forum on China- Africa Cooperation, (b) the provisions on mi
53 African countries, including Mauritius, attended the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). China made a range of high-level commitments as part of the Forum's Beijing Action Plan. As with previous FOCAC commitments we will monitor their implementa...