Written questions by Patel.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the (a) current and (b) incoming United States Administration on the timetable for signing the treaty with Mauritius on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

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 usual way to protect and enhance our shared security interests.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish an (a) timeline and (b) list of all (i) meetings and (ii) discussions his Department has had with the Government of Mauritius on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 5 July 2024.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met the then Mauritian Prime Minister in London on 23 July. Following this, officials held Rounds 12 and 13 of negotiations on 2-5 September and 23-26 September before the political agreement between the Prime Minister and then Mauritian Prime Minister was reached on 3 October. This engagement has been supplemented by numerous official level meetings, including a meeting between the Prime Minister's Special Envoy with BIOT negotiations, Jonathan Powell and PM Ramgoolam on 25 November.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many asylum seekers in the British Indian Ocean Territory have received medical treatment in the last three years; in what countries that treatment was provided; and at what cost.

The FCDO provides funding to the BIOT Administration for the good governance of the Territory, which includes the costs of supporting the migrants there, whose welfare and safety is paramount, as well as their rights to patient confidentiality. They have access to 24/7 medical care from a team of doctors, paramedics, registered nurses and mental health practitioners, contracted by the BIOT Administration. Where treatment cannot be provided in the BIOT, urgent medical transfers organised or specialists can be brought to the island. Given the broad range of medical services provided in a number of different locations over a three-year period, the detailed information requested cannot be provided except at a disproportionate cost.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the memorandum of understanding with the Government of St Helena, agreed on 15 October 2024, if he will publish (a) the accounting officer’s advice on the scheme, (b) the costings of the scheme, (c) the details of the accommodation that will be provided and (d) the assessment of the potential merits of using St Helena.

We do not routinely publish policy advice and assessments from officials. The UK Government has agreed to a one-off funding of £6.65million with the Government of St Helena for initiatives to improve public health and education outcomes, and also local IT systems. The UK Government will support the Government of St Helena to care for and process any potential migrants. The St Helena Government will be responsible for determining what accommodation should be provided to any migrants transferred, with technical support from the UK Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the interim arrangements set out in the memorandum of understanding between the UK Government and the Government of St Helena on migrant arrivals on (a) the number of migrants, (b) the cost per migrant and (c) the estimated time that migrants covered by this provision will stay on St Helena.

No new migrants have arrived on the British Indian Ocean Territory since 2022.  The UK will support the Government of St Helena to care and process any potential migrants. Each case will be unique and the UK will provide the necessary support to the Government of St Helena.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Polish counterpart on international parental child abduction.

This Government takes International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) extremely seriously and I recognise the impact that it has on families, particularly the affected children. I raised the issue with my Polish counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Prawda, during a meeting on 12 July. IPCA remains a priority for this government and we will continue to use every available opportunity to register our serious concerns and seek updates on the steps the Polish government are taking to address outstanding issues.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Hong Kong on the process of securing a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction for people residing in the UK under the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa.

The Government will continue to stand with, and support members of the Hong Kong community and we continue to engage with the Hong Kong authorities on a range of issues. We encourage all those seeking to apply for a CNCC to follow the process as set out by the Hong Kong Police Force, for which further information can be found on their website.