§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total number of people previously resident in the Chagos Archipelago who have been evacuated since 1965; and how many now remain.
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§ Mr. EnnalsAs the Secretary of State for the Colonies stated in a Written Answer on 10th November 1965, the total population of the Chagos Archipelago at that time was approximately 1,000.
According to Mauritian Government records, 1,151 people returned to Mauritius from the entire Chagos Archipelago between 1965 and 1973.
The only people on the Chagos Archipelago at present are United Kingdom and United States Services personnel.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the inhabited islands of the Chagos Archipelago prior to 1965 giving the population, excluding British or American Service men and their families, in each case and the populations at the present time.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe inhabited islands of the Chagos Archipelago prior to 1965 and until the closure of the copra plantations were Diego Garcia, Peros Banhos and Salomon. According to information available in late 1964, there were 483 people on Diego Garcia, 291 on Peros Banhos and 219 on Salomon. The only people on the Chagos Archipelago at present are United Kingdom and United States Service personnel.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the properties and other rights sold by Chagos Agalega Ltd. in the Indian Ocean to Her Majesty's Government and state the area in each case and the price paid.
§ Mr. EnnalsChagos Agalega Company Ltd. did not sell any properties to Her Majesty's Government.
By Instrument of Acquisition in 1967 the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory acquired on behalf of the Crown for the sum of £660,000 the following islands or groups of islands
with all buildings, constructions, servitudes, easements, rights and interests.130W
- (a) Diego Garcia, 8,700 acres
- (b) Peros Banhos, 2,900 acres
- (c) Solomon Islands, 2,000 acres
- (d) Three Brothers including Sea Cow, approximately 30 acres; Danger, 250 acres; and Eagle Islands, 300 acres
- (e) Egmont or Six Islands, 638 acres
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what sums have been paid in compensation to the Seychelles and to Mauritius, respectively, for the surrender of sovereignty and other rights over Diego Garcia and other British territories in the Indian Ocean.
§ Mr. EnnalsGrants amounting to £3 million were provided to Mauritius as compensation for the loss of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. A new international airport was constructed for Seychelles at a cost of about £6.2 million as compensation for the loss of sovereignty over Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the purpose of depopulating certain British territories in the Indian Ocean.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe British Indian Ocean Territory was formed in 1965 to meet the joint defence needs of the Government of the United Kingdom and the United States. Subsequently, the copra plantations on the Chagos Archipelago were closed down, the contract workers transferred and compensation paid.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the total costs of compensation and depopulation incurred as a result of agreements with the United States of America about the future use of British islands in the Indian Ocean, has been met by the United States Government.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe United States Government agreed in 1966 to contribute half of the total cost involved in the establishment of the British Indian Ocean Territory up to a maximum of £5 million.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the total costs incurred in depopulating British islands in the Indian Ocean and compensation for loss of sovereignty, property rights and other possessions.
§ Mr. EnnalsThe total costs incurred in establishing the British Indian Ocean Territory and in resettling the workers 131W from the islands of the Chagos Archipelago have to date amounted to about £11.2 million.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what compensation was agreed for residents of British territories in the Indian Ocean, who were compelled to leave their homes, following agreements made with the United States Government on the future of these territories; and if the compensation has now been paid to them.
§ Mr. EnnalsHer Majesty's Government paid £650,000 to the Mauritian Government in 1973 for the resettlement of the workers on the plantations in the Chagos Archipelago transferred to Mauritius. The Mauritian Government acknowledged that this payment was a full and final discharge of Her Majesty's Government's obligations. The Mauritian Government considered that a long-term resettlement plan would serve the interests of those concerned better than cash payments, but they have recently informed us of their difficulties in devising an acceptable plan using the money paid by Her Majesty's Government.
§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the agreements made between Her Majesty's Government and other Governments since 1964 which affect British owned territories in the Indian Ocean.
§ Mr. EnnalsThere have been two such agreements as follows:
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- (i) An Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom Government and the United States Government in December 1966 concerning the availability in defence purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which was presented to Parliament in April 1967 (Cmnd 3231).
- (ii) An Exchange of Notes between the United Kingdom Government and the United States Government in October 1972 concerning a limited United States naval communications facility on Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, which was presented to Parliament in November 1972 (Cmnd 5160).
§ Mr. Trotterasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total annual income of the Maldive Islands in 1974; what was the income per head of population; and to what extent was the income derived from the United Kingdom in general and from the Armed Services in particular.
§ Mr. RowlandsNo reliable statistics are available. The latest figures available are those of the World Bank, which estimated in 1972 that the GNP was US $10 million, and per capita income US $ 10. During the 12 months ended 30th September 1974 wages and allowances of Maldivian employees of RAF Gan totalled £288,796. Over the last three years United Kingdom development aid disbursements averaged £100,000 per annum.