§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase the pay of Gurkha service men to the same level as that of British service men.[9035]
§ Mr. IngramUnder the terms of the Tri-Partite Agreement (TPA) between India, Nepal and the UK, Gurkha pay is linked to the Indian Army pay code. Gurkhas also receive a cost of living allowance known as Universal Addition payable wherever a Gurkha serves. This combination of basic Indian Army pay and Universal 5W Addition, means that overall total Gurkha remuneration is in line with the net pay of comparable British service men. These arrangements have been in place since 1997
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Gurkha regiments; and what plans he has to increase the number of Gurkhas serving in the British armed forces.[9034]
§ Mr. IngramThe total number of trained Gurkhas in the British Army as at 1 September, was 3,500. There are two Gurkha Infantry Regiments serving with the British Army; 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles and 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles. Gurkha Reinforcement Companies are currently serving with the 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment, 1 Royal Irish and 1 Highlanders. There are also formed Gurkha units serving with 10 Transport Regiment, 30 Signal Regiment, 36 Engineer Regiment and in training establishments at Sandhurst and Brecon. In addition, there are small numbers of Gurkha service men serving as "Attached Arms" within numerous other units and establishments across the British.
There are no plans to increase the total number of Gurkhas in the future.