§ 44. Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Defence for what purpose he recently purchased the islands of Farquhar, Desroches and the Chagos Archipelago; and what strategic value, actual or potential, these islands have for the overall purposes of British defence.
§ Mr. HealeyThe freeholds of the islands named, which are parts of the182W British Indian Ocean Territory, have been acquired to ensure that they will be freely available for facilities, such as refuelling or communications, which we might wish to establish. Their strategic value would derive from those facilities.