§ 109. Mr. de Chairasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what is the arrangement with the Government of Nepal about the employment of Gurkha troops by His Majesty's Government in Malaya and other parts of South-East Asia; whether these are liable to recall; and, if so, what notice has to be given by the Government of Nepal.
§ Mr. Ernest DaviesOur arrangements with the Government of Nepal for the employment of Gurkha troops by His Majesty's Government in the United146W Kingdom are contained in a Memorandum of Agreement signed in Katmandu on the 9th November, 1947, by Representatives of the Governments of the United Kingdom, India and Nepal and in accompanying documents. The Minister of Defence informed the House of the signature of this Memorandum on the 1st December, 1947, and gave details of the main points which it contained. In an annexure to the Memorandum, the Government of Nepal reserved the right to withdraw Gurkha troops in the event of Nepal becoming involved in war and we accepted this reservation on the understanding that it would not be exercised when Nepal was at war as an ally of the United Kingdom. There are, however, no stipulations about the notice which would have to be given by the Government of Nepal in this event.