Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43796 on Greenland: Sovereignty, if he will publish the minutes of his two meetings with Greenland's Foreign Minister.

I met Greenlandic Foreign Minister Motzfeldt at the Arctic Circle Assembly on 18 October 2024 in Iceland, and on 13 January 2025 in London. We discussed a range of bilateral and Arctic issues. We do not publish the minutes of diplomatic meetings.As per my response to Parliamentary Question 43796, the Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure long term unrestricted British access to the entire Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

I refer the Hon. member to the responses given to his previous Parliamentary Questions 37768 and 37368, which remains the same.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.

The following table includes the number of lost department-issued devices by The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office since 5 July 2024.Breakdown of department-issued equipment typeNumber of lost itemsMobile phones177Laptops27Other electronic devices - please specify (Tablets)2

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 2 April 2025 to Question 41781 on Sovereignty: Greenland, what steps he is taking to support the the (a) Government of Greenland and (b) the Kingdom of Denmark.

The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.We look forward to working with Greenland's new government and will continue to maintain strong ties with all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. I have met Greenland's Foreign Minister twice since taking office and have also discussed bilateral cooperation with the Faroese Foreign Minister. The Prime Minister hosted Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen in London on 4 February for bilateral discussions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the terms of the agreement to lease the Chagos Islands differs from the deal that the Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN offered to the United States in July 2020.

Once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) process in the usual way.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices of the diplomatic relationship between the US and Denmark.

The UK maintains strong relations with both the US and Denmark, including as close NATO Allies, and on the shared priority of security in the High North.The UK has a longstanding policy of respecting self-determination. The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent remarks from the United States administration on the sovereignty of Greenland.

The UK maintains strong relations with both the US and Denmark, including as close NATO Allies, and on the shared priority of security in the High North.The UK has a longstanding policy of respecting self-determination. The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37768 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Fisheries, what estimate he has made of the level of financial assistance that will be provided to the Government of Mauritius to implement a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area.

Further engagement on the details of the Marine Protected Area will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37762 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Seas and Oceans, whether the Marine Protected Area established by Mauritius under the terms of the agreement between the UK and Mauritius will be supported by his Department's Blue Belt Programme.

The enhanced partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. Further engagement on the details of the MPA will take place as part of the implementation of the Agreement post-signature.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March to Question 36204 on James Scott Rhys Anderson, what discussions he has had with (a) the Russian ambassador to the UK and (b) senior Russian officials on the imprisonment of James Anderson.

The Ukrainian authorities have confirmed British national James Anderson was serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, meaning he holds Prisoner of War (PoW) status. Ukraine holds responsibility for engagement on any members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who are captured as PoWs, regardless of their nationality. We strongly condemn the sentencing of Mr. Anderson in a Russian court on false charges. Under international law, PoWs cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, including that PoWs are treated humanely, and condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. The UK regularly raises Mr Anderson's case with our Ukrainian partners. We recently raised Mr Anderson's case with the Russian Ambassador, making it clear that Mr. Anderson must be treated as a PoW, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson's family and are providing consular support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Global Clean Power Alliance: finance mission statement, published on 20 November 2024, what progress he has made on the finance mission.

We have been working closely with Brazil, our co-chair for the Finance Mission, to develop a set of time-bound deliverables which will focus the Finance Mission's activity. The proposals will be shared after further consultation with Mission members and delivery partners, reflecting the collaborative approach of the Global Clean Power Alliance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the (a) seabed and (b) other parts of the marine portfolio of the area within 200 nautical miles of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) has some of the most biodiverse waters on the planet with over 220 species of coral, 855 species of fish and 355 species of molluscs. Since its designation as a Marine Protected Area in 2010, the BIOT Administration has managed environmental policy across the archipelago, with marine conservation efforts supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Blue Belt Programme. The agreement between the UK and Mauritius will be supported by an enhanced partnership on conservation under which the UK will support Mauritius to establish a Marine Protected Area that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Archipelago.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure long term access to the Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The UK will assist Mauritius in implementing a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area in the Archipelago, which will extend to technical, financial, capacity-building assistance, fostering long-term sustainable management.  The parties will work with international conservation organisations to ensure the implementation of science-backed strategies for conservation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35007 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius, what access the UK would have to any economic exclusion zone implemented by Mauritius around the British Indian Ocean Territory.

Under the Treaty, the UK will retain full control over Diego Garcia, including unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US. Further details will be set out when the Treaty is published after signature.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to secure the release of James Anderson from Russian custody.

We strongly condemn the sentencing of British national James Anderson in a Russian court on false charges. Under international law, prisoners of war cannot be prosecuted for participating in hostilities. We demand that Russia respect its obligations under the Geneva Conventions, including that prisoners of war are treated humanely. We condemn the exploitation of prisoners of war for political and propaganda purposes. The UK regularly raises Mr Anderson's case with our Ukrainian partners, and at every opportunity with senior Russian officials. We remain in close contact with Mr Anderson's family and are providing consular support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the terms are of the agreement with the US for the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia signed in 2016.

As stated in the reply to PQ 25391, the US presence and operations in the British Indian Ocean Territory are governed by a series of international agreements, which set out that the whole Territory should be made available for UK and US defence purposes. In 2016, the UK and US agreed to extend the provisions of the 1966 Exchange of Notes for an additional 20 years. The 1966 Exchange of Notes and other additions to the Notes are available at the United Nations Treaty Database Website.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Mauritius has the right to define an Economic Exclusion Zone around the British Indian Ocean Territory.

After the agreement enters into force Mauritius will be able to declare an Economic Exclusion Zone but will need to implement security arrangements under the agreement. The deal ensures that we will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces. The UK will also assist Mauritius in implementing a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area in the Archipelago.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK’s right to extend the 99-year lease on the Chagos Islands was renegotiated with the government of Mauritius in the period between his Oral Statement of 7 October 2024 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations, Official Report, column 45, and the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25391 on Diego Garcia: Military Bases.

As we and Mauritius have repeatedly said, including in joint statements on 20 December and on 13 January, both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago which protects the long-term effective operation of the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia. The Treaty will last for an initial 99 years and may be extended for a further 40 years (and beyond) by agreement between the UK and Mauritius - after 99 years, the UK will also have the right to first refusal on the use of Diego Garcia which, if exercised, would prevent the use of the base by any other party. We continue to engage with Mauritius and are not going to provide a running commentary on the details.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to resolve the dispute between the Republic of the Maldives’s Economic Exclusion Zone and the British Indian Ocean Territory’s (a) Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone and (b) Environment (Protection and Preservation) Zone in negotiations with the Government of Mauritius.

As we outlined in our joint statement of 3 October 2024, following two years of negotiation with the intention of resolving all outstanding issues between the UK and Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, the UK and Mauritius reached political agreement which is subject to the finalisation in a treaty and connected legal instruments. The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius under which the UK will support Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) that protects the globally significant ecosystems in the Chagos Archipelago. The UK was not a party to the 2021 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea case between Mauritius and Maldives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the current level of Government funding is for all British activity in Antarctica.

The UK's investment for British activity in Antarctica comprises a) British Antarctic Survey activity (BAS) which is funded by DSIT; b) deployment of HMS Protector which is funded by the MOD. Across the past three financial years, Navy Command has spent an average of £17.871million to operate Protector in Antarctic (or nearby) waters; c) small grant funding from the FCDO to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and British Antarctic Territory which this year amounted to £150,000.Additionally, the Government has invested significantly into the UK's infrastructure in Antarctica over the past decade, the largest package of funding since the 1980s. The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) is a multi-year programme to 2031 to upgrade the UK's facilities at Rothera Research Station. Amounting to approximately £48m per year under the current spending framework, the AIMP includes the ongoing construction of the Discovery Building, a new science and operations centre for Rothera. £40m has also been invested in refurbishing the wharf at Rothera, completed in 2020. In 2014, the then Chancellor announced that the Government would provide £200m to build BAS's state of the art vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough (the SDA), one of the biggest commercial shipbuilding contracts undertaken in the UK in decades. The SDA departed for her maiden voyage in November 2021 and has already transformed the way UK research is conducted in the polar regions. She is expected to operate for at least 25 years, providing a modern platform for future generations of UK polar researchers.