§ Sir Nigel Fisherasked the Lord Privy Seal what agreement was reached in the recent negotiations with the Government of Mauritius over assistance to the Ilois resettled in Mauritius from the Chagos Archipelago.
§ Mr. LuceAn agreement was initialled in Port Louis on 27 March under which Her Majesty's Government will make an ex-gratia payment of £4 million to the Mauritius Government in full and final settlement of all Ilois claims. The Mauritius Government will on their part make available to the Ilois and the Ilois community in Mauritius land to the value of £1 million. The money will be administered by a board of trustees to be established by an Act of the Mauritius Parliament. The agreement is to be formally signed in the near future and will thereafter be subject to internal procedures by both Governments. Parliamentary approval for the expenditure will be sought in a supplementary estimate in due course. We welcome the settlement of this long-outstanding matter, which has been the cause of concern both for Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Mauritius.