HC Deb 25 November 1975 vol 901 c119W
Mr. Robin F. Cook

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the islands in the British Indian Ocean Territories and the present population of each.

Mr. Ennals

I shall send a full list to my hon. Friend but the principal islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory are as follows:

  1. (a) The Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos, Salomon, Three Brothers, Danger Island, Eagle Islands, Egmont (or Six Islands) and Nelson's Island;
  2. (b) Farquhar;
  3. (c) Desroches;
  4. (d) Aldabra.

Apart from Diego Garcia, where there are United Kingdom and United States service personnel, there are 80 people on Farquhar, 59 on Desroches and 25 on Aldabra. Those on Farquhar and Desroches are contract workers and their families from Seychelles employed on the copra plantations. Those on Aldabra consist of 10 expatriate scientists working at the Royal Society research station and 15 men, women and children from Seychelles assisting in this work.