Chagos Islands Sovereignty Transfer Bill Faces Parliamentary Delay
Legislation designed to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius will not be passed before the upcoming King's Speech, a government minister has confirmed, leaving the possibility for further parliamentary efforts in the next session. Stephen Doughty, a Foreign Office minister, stated on Monday that the plan, which involves relinquishing sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) while maintaining control of the military base on Diego Garcia, has encountered significant delays primarily due to opposition from the United States.
US Opposition Halts Legislative Progress
Downing Street had previously indicated that transferring sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius represented "the best way to protect a vital" military base located on Diego Garcia. However, the Prime Minister's official spokesperson declined to commit to reintroducing the legislation in the next parliamentary session, scheduled to commence on 13 May. An agreement between the UK and Mauritius was signed in May of last year, and the Bill to conclude London's control over the islands has been debated in both Houses of Parliament. A final draft of this session's Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill has yet to secure agreement from both the Commons and the Lords.
Mr Doughty told the Commons: "It's regrettable to us that obviously there has been a delay, we've run out of time in this parliamentary session. But the facts have not changed in the need for this treaty or indeed the need for the different processes and legal provisions to be brought in place." The Foreign Office minister emphasized that the UK and US needed to update a 1966 agreement, known as the Exchange of Notes, to allow for continued joint operation of the military base. He noted that Washington had originally accepted the agreement with Mauritius, adding it was "negotiated in close co-ordination with the United States under both this and the previous United States administrations."
Changing US Position Creates Obstacles
The document was "tested thoroughly at all levels of the United States system under two administrations and found to be robust," Mr Doughty said. He continued: "In recent weeks, the position of the United States president (Donald Trump) appears to have changed. And this means that, in practical terms, it has become impossible to agree at political level an update to the 1966 UK-US agreement concerning the Availability for Defence Purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory, known as the Exchange of Notes."
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel pressed Mr Doughty to confirm the Government would not attempt to advance its deal in the face of Mr Trump's opposition. She asked: "Will he rule out any new legislation coming forward next session, even if it isn't in the King's Speech, so that the surrender treaty cannot become operable?" Mr Doughty responded that it was the Opposition which "started this process" but did not directly address whether a fresh Bill would emerge.
Financial and Strategic Implications
Under the terms of the deal agreed last year, Britain will hand sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but lease back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years. The agreement will also see the UK pay an average of £101 million annually to Mauritius over that period, totalling approximately £3.4 billion according to official figures. However, opponents of the deal have argued that the real cost could amount to about £35 billion when adjusted for inflation, and they contend it jeopardizes the base's security while potentially opening the door for China to establish a presence on the archipelago.
Although the agreement has been signed by both the UK and Mauritius, it has not yet been ratified, and no payments have been made. When asked by Conservative former minister Dame Harriett Baldwin whether the UK would make payments to Mauritius during the delay period, Mr Doughty clarified: "I can confirm that in relation to the costs associated with this treaty, they cannot be paid without the treaty being passed, without the relevant legislation being passed."
Parliament has already agreed to "carry over" five Bills from the current session, allowing debate on them to continue after 13 May, but the Chagos Bill is not among them. The Prime Minister's spokesman added that UK officials would "now discuss next steps with the US and the Mauritians." Earlier, when questioned about reintroducing the Bill, the spokesman stated: "I'm not going to get ahead of or speculate on what is in the King's speech, and any legislation will be announced in the usual way."
