§ Mr. Edgeasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report the rates of pay of the members of the Gurkha Regiment, and those of the Guards Regiments.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownUnder a series of agreements, signed in 1947 between the United Kingdom, India and Nepal, Gurkhas in the British Army are paid at the same basic pay rates as their counterparts in the Indian Army. The current minimum monthly rates are as follows:
Rank £ Private IV … 9.35 Lance Corporal … 11.22 Corporal … 12.29 Sergeant … 14.16 Colour Sergeant … 14.43 Warrant Officer Class 2 … 15.30 Warrant Officer Class 1 … 15.90 Lt. QGO … 19.78 Capt. QGO … 25.65 Major QGO … 34.74 Capt. GCO … 58.79 Major GCO … 77.50 Length of service and good service pay varying from 27p to £4.93 per month 618W depending on rank and length of service is also paid. When serving in the Far East outside the Indian subcontinent, principally in Hong Kong, Gurkhas are paid a special addition to compensate for service overseas and the cost of living. This special addition is reviewed annually and the monthly rates effective from 1st July 1975 are:
Rank Single Married Unaccompanied Married Accompanied Private IV … 21.95 25.91 51.03 Lance Corporal … 23.77 28.42 56.14 Corporal … 26.75 31.74 62.67 Sergeant … 36.19 38.87 80.86 Colour Sergeant … 42.29 43.96 94.54 Warrant Officer II … 43.96 47.59 104.65 Warrant Officer I … 54.00 55.26 120.89 Lieutenant (QGO) … 64.39 64.92 126.23 Captain (QGO) … 70.21 71.64 133.33 Major (QGO) … 80.12 81.20 150.13 Captain (GCO) … — 143.03 241.26 Major (GCO) … — 166.37 280.45 Unlike British soldiers, Gurkha personnel receive free food and accommodation.
Members of the Gurkha battalion at present based in the United Kingdom are paid at rates which approximate to those of their British counterparts.
The current rates of pay for the British Army, including regiments of the Household Division, are set out in the supplement to the Fourth Report of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (Cmnd. 6063).