To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007, Official Report, column 604W, on Diego Garcia: USA, on how many occasions since (a) the exchange of notes and (b) the updated exchange of notes the UK has (i) been asked and (ii) given approval for operations carried out by the United States from Diego Garcia. (131060)

The notes allow the US to use the base as a forward operating location for aircraft and ships. Over the last 40 years many thousands of flights and ship movements have taken place, each of which is subject to UK authorisation. Records of such authorisations are not maintained centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.