UK aid: spending reductions since 2020 and outlook from 2024/25
UK aid spending has fallen to 0.5% of gross national income. What has this meant for aid spending, and what plans has the government set out?

Between 1968 and 1973 the British Government cleared the entire Chagos Archipelago of its inhabitants, opening the way for a US military base on the biggest island, Diego Garcia. The Archipelago was made a British overseas territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Two main disputes have arisen from these events. One has been between the Chagos Islanders and the British Government over the legality of the former’s removal and whether they have a right to return. The other has been between the UK and Mauritius about sovereignty over the BIOT. The UK has said that it will cede sovereignty to Mauritius once the BIOT is no longer required for defence purposes.
Disputes over the British Indian Ocean Territory: a survey (334 KB , PDF)
Between 1968 and 1973 the British Government cleared the entire Chagos Archipelago of its inhabitants, opening the way for a US military base on the biggest island, Diego Garcia. The Archipelago was made a British overseas territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Two main disputes have arisen from these events. One has been between the Chagos Islanders and the British Government over the legality of the former’s removal and whether they have a right to return. The other has been between the UK and Mauritius about sovereignty over the BIOT. The UK has said that it will cede sovereignty to Mauritius once the BIOT is no longer required for defence purposes.
Can progress be made towards resolving these disputes? Both have at various points in the past appeared to be all but intractable and several domestic and international legal challenges remain in play. But potential ways forward over the next two years are certainly not beyond the bounds of imagination. The British Government is currently reviewing its policy on resettlement, with supporters of the Chagos Islanders arguing that the outer islands of the Archipelago could be feasible sites for limited resettlement. And while the arrangement with the US over its military use of Diego Garcia looks set to be extended for a further 20 years from 2016, some are asking whether, if the outer islands of the BIOT are not required for defence purposes, they could be ceded to Mauritius as an interim step.
This paper surveys the origins and complex subsequent evolution since 1965 of these separate but inter-related disputes over the Chagos Archipelago. It concludes by exploring the prospects for making progress towards resolving these disputes over the next couple of years.
Disputes over the British Indian Ocean Territory: a survey (334 KB , PDF)
UK aid spending has fallen to 0.5% of gross national income. What has this meant for aid spending, and what plans has the government set out?
A Westminster Hall debate on 'UK government advice on the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning when travelling' is scheduled for Tuesday 11 February 2025, from 2:30pm to 4:00pm. The debate will be led by Dr Al Pinkerton MP.
A briefing paper which "maps" (or summarises) the main elements of the United Kingdom's uncodified constitution.