Speeches by Malhotra.

“I thank hon. Members for their contributions. I will make a couple of comments about the timing of amendments in the other place. There have been ongoing discussions with the devolved Governments. It is important to recognise this Government’s respect for the devolution settlements and our adherence to the principles u…”

“I will finish my remarks on this point. The ICJ concluded that “the United Kingdom is under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the Chagos Archipelago as rapidly as possible”.—[Interruption.] The right hon. Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) may want to listen the next bit. The 2019 advis…”

“No, I have been very generous in giving way. I will continue with my remarks. [Interruption.] Sorry, what was that comment?”

“I will continue my remarks. It is as if the Conservatives cannot decide who is speaking from the Front Bench today. As Lord Coaker told the other place in November, the UK-Mauritius agreement “enables the continued operation of the base to its full capability.” He said that we will continue to be able to “deploy the fu…”

“I thank the right hon. Member for his comments. The answer to that question has been set out by Lord Coaker, and I will be laying it out—[Interruption.] The answer is yes, and it has been set out by Lord Coaker in the other place. I will come on to that in my remarks. There have been questions from the Opposition today…”

“The right hon. Member could not have known it, but I was on the first line of a page of comments on that exact issue. I am sorry that he chose that moment to interrupt proceedings. As I was saying, it is a matter of long-standing policy that we do not comment on operational procedures. The Conservatives know that and, …”

“I thank the shadow Defence Secretary for his intervention. It is a long-standing policy, as he will know this from having been in government, that we do not comment on operational matters or the location of nuclear weapons. The Opposition know—[Interruption.] Perhaps I may make some comments on the Pelindaba treaty—”

“Thank you, Mr Speaker.”

“Is that in order, Mr Speaker?”

“I give way to the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans).”

“I will conclude my remarks—I am sorry but I have taken a number of interventions today. Since coming into power, this Government have been clear on our deep regret for the way in which Chagossians were removed from the islands and have sought to recognise the wide range of views within the Chagossian community. We rema…”

“I will be coming on to that point in my remarks. That is important. I want to finish my point on the legal matters that have been raised. What the International Court of Justice said in its advisory opinion carries significant weight and is likely to be influential on any subsequent court or tribunal that considers the…”

“The hon. Member will know that these matters have been shared before with the House. Perhaps I may remind him what US Secretary Hegseth said: “The UK’s (very important) deal with Mauritius secures the operational capabilities of the base and key”—[Interruption.]”

“I will continue with my remarks, because I want to finish shortly. The strength of the deal and the protection of national security is exactly why the US endorsed the deal last year and why Secretary of State Rubio called it a “monumental achievement”. The agreement safeguards the interest of both the United Kingdom an…”

“The hon. Member will have heard me say that before the UK can ratify the treaty, we will need to do the following: pass primary and secondary legislation; update the UK-US exchange of notes; and put in place arrangements on the environment, maritime security and migration. It is important—”

“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I remind the hon. Member of what US Secretary Hegseth said: “The UK’s (very important) deal with Mauritius secures the operational capabilities of the base and key US national security interests in the region. We are confident the base is protected for many years ahead.””

“I will continue with my remarks for the moment. As I have said, we are confident that nothing in this treaty conflicts with our ability to uphold international law and continue to operate the base as we do today. Moving on to the UK-US relationship, we have been clear that before the UK can ratify the treaty, we will n…”

“Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the security risk, this Government, like the Government before us, made the decision to negotiate with Mauritius to secure a deal to protect the base and the UK. Our agreement ensures full operational control of Diego Garcia; a 24 nautical mile buffer zone where nothing can be built or plac…”

“I will continue my remarks, but I will give way shortly. It is, therefore, the UK’s long-standing legal view that if Mauritius challenged us again in the courts, we would struggle to defend our position. Our Indo-Pacific foothold and the operation of the base could be put at risk within weeks. That is why the Governmen…”

“Let me make a little progress before giving way to the right hon. Gentleman. In November 2022, the former Foreign Secretary said that “taking into account relevant legal proceedings, it is our intention to secure an agreement on the basis of international law to resolve all outstanding issues”.—[Official Report, 3 Nove…”