Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when any Ministers in his Department last met Chagossian representatives; and when they next plan to do so.

James Duddridge

Ministers last met the Chagos Islands (British Indian Ocean Territory) All-Party Parliamentary Group in February 2015. Officials have held meetings with around 500 Chagossians in the last 12 months in London, Crawley, Manchester, Seychelles and Mauritius. The Government has recently undertaken a twelve week public consultation about a potential resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory, and I am now considering the results, with a view to the Government determining a way ahead on this important issue very soon. It would be inappropriate to meet Chagossians until the results of this consultation have been considered.