Chagos Islands

Part of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – in the House of Commons at on 2 September 2025.

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Photo of Stephen Doughty Stephen Doughty Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

How ever many times the hon. Gentleman, Priti Patel or the Conservative party in its emails to supporters make this claim about the cost, it does not mean that it is true—it is not. The £30 billion figure is inaccurate and misleading. It is wrong to ignore the cost of inflation and the change in the value of money, over the real cost of a deal that lasts 99 years. The figures are verified by the Government Actuary’s Department, drawing on long-established methodology. I have set out the costs. We will not scrimp on national security. Quite frankly, the brass neck from Conservative Members, after they disinvested in our armed forces and our defence over the entire time they were in office, is quite extraordinary.