To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he and his predecessors have had with representatives of the Chagossian people in the last 10 years. (245420)

Officials have been in regular contact with representatives of the Chagossian people in Mauritius, the Seychelles and also in the UK. Ministers have also had meetings with Chagossian representatives based in the UK and in Mauritius.

As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary said in his press statement following the Law Lords judgment on 22 October on the Judicial Review of the 2004 BIOT Orders in Council, the Government will keep in close touch with the Chagossian communities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take in response to the recent House of Lords decision on the Chagos Islanders. (245423)

Following the House of Lords ruling, the two Orders in Council made for the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in 2004 stand and provide that no person has a right of abode in BIOT or the right to enter the Territory unless authorised.

The Government continue to be in close touch with the Chagossian communities and consider carefully future requests to visit the Territory. A group of six Chagossians now resident in Crawley visited Diego Garcia and the outer islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory in November 2008. This visit was organised and funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.