Every parliamentary written question tabled by Priti Patel this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–7 of 7 · Ministry of Defence
What payments to Mauritius under the UK-Mauritius Treaty will be included in the UK’s calculation of the (a) 3.5% core defence spending and (b) defence-related investments.
The NATO qualifying status of these costs will be considered in the usual way.
What recent progress has been made by the Coalition of the Willing on Ukraine.
Since the Coalition of the Willing Summit in London in March 2025, the UK and France have co-led military planning efforts and brought together over 30 countries at four leader level events including one in Kyiv. The Prime Minister and President Macron convened a Leader Level Coalition of the Willing meeting on 10 July 2025, confirming the development of mature operational plans to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and to regenerate Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
Whether operations conducted by special forces will be subject to the notifications requirements of paragraph 2 of Annex 1 of the UK-Mauritius Treaty.
As per longstanding Government policy, I can neither confirm nor deny information relating to UK Special Forces.Annex 1, paragraph 2 of the Chagos Archipelago Treaty, once it has entered into force, will not require the UK to divulge sensitive information and will not require prior notification of any military operation.Moreover, Article 3(2) of the treaty states that Mauritius cannot undermine, prejudice or otherwise interfere with the long-term, secure and effective operation of the military base on Diego Garcia, and that Mauritius shall cooperate to that end.
With reference to paragraph 1(b)(viii) of Annex 1 of the UK/Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), what the notification process will be for informing Mauritius about (a) non-United Kingdom and (b) non-United State of America that have been permitted (i) access, (iI) basing and (iii) overflight access to Diego Garcia; how his Department defines the term upon notification; whether notification should be provided before permitted vessels and aircrafts enter Diego Garcia; what details will be provided through the notification process; who in the Mauritian government will receive the notification; and whether those notifications will be confidential.
As Annex 1, paragraph 1(b)(viii) of the treaty confirms, the United Kingdom will have unrestricted ability to permit access, basing and overflight for non-United Kingdom and non-United States of America aircraft and vessels. Aircraft accessing Diego Garcia will maintain standard notification practices for flight information regions, which exist in the Indian Ocean flight information zone and other international flight information zones. The United Kingdom will inform Mauritius about non-United Kingdom and non-United States of America aircraft and vessels through normal diplomatic channels. Notifications are confidential and will not include classified information.
With reference to paragraph 3(a) of Annex 1 of the UK/Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), what the notification process will be for informing Mauritius about (a) overflight and (b) undersea access to the Chagos Islands beyond Diego Garcia for states operating with the United Kingdom or the United States of America; how his Department defines the term upon notification; whether notification should be provided before permitted vessels and aircrafts enter Diego Garcia; what details will be provided through the notification process; who in the Mauritian government will receive the notification; and whether those notifications will be confidential.
Aircraft accessing the Chagos Archipelago beyond Diego Garcia will maintain standard notification practices for flight information regions, which exist in the Indian Ocean flight information zone and other international flight information zones. The United Kingdom will inform Mauritius about undersea access for states operating with the United Kingdom or the United States of America through normal diplomatic channels. Notifications are confidential and will not include classified information.
Pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 2 of Annex 1 of the UK-Mauritius Treaty, whether he has agreed (a) a process with the Government of Mauritius to provide them with the required notifications and (b) a definition of the term expeditiously inform with the Government of Mauritius.
It is standard practice for basing arrangements to include an agreement to inform a host nation about military action from their territory. Annex 1, paragraph 2 of the Chagos Archipelago treaty, once it has entered into force, will not require prior notification and will not require the UK to divulge sensitive information. The United Kingdom will inform Mauritius through normal diplomatic channels.
With reference to the document entitled UK/Mauritius: Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia (CS Mauritius No.1/2025), whether there are (a) restrictions on and (b) processes to facilitate (i) planes under the control of Mauritius (A) entering Diego Garcia airspace (B) landing on Diego Garcia and (ii) vessels under the flag of Mauritius (C) entering the 12 nautical mile zone (D) entering the zone between 12 and 24 nautical miles surrounding Diego Garcia, where Diego Garcia as defined by Article 19 of the Agreement.
Under the terms of the Chagos Archipelago Treaty, the UK controls access of persons and goods to Diego Garcia, which includes the airspace and territorial sea in the 12 nautical mile surrounding zone. In accordance with this control the UK must authorise access to Diego Garcia, including for Mauritian aircraft and vessels. Additionally, the current three nautical mile territorial sea is to be extended to 12 nautical miles, with the UK controlling the twelve nautical miles surrounding Diego Garcia. Outside of the territorial sea, movements of vessels and aircraft are governed by the rights in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. With the extension of the territorial sea under the treaty, this means that the UK will control nine nautical miles more than is currently the case.