How much does a sell-out cost? Mr S has been trying for months now to work out what the Chagos deal will mean for British taxpayers. The Financial Times originally reported an estimated total bill of £9bn – before the Mauritian prime minister suggested last week the sum would be much higher. With a sum of £18bn now being quoted by some outlets, Steerpike wants to know which government department will be footing the costs of the 99-year deal?
When it comes to figures, the obvious place to start is the Treasury – Whitehall’s ‘central department’ to use Nigel Lawson’s phrase. A written question was put to Rachel Reeves, asking if the Chancellor’s department had ‘made a value for money assessment of the Chagos Island deal’. But according to Darren Jones, the answer is, er, no. His answer is as follows:
HMT has been working with the FCDO and the MOD on this agreement.
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