§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to deploy the Gurkha Regiment to East Timor; and if he will make a statement. [107851]
§ Mr. SpellarWe decided to participate in the operation in East Timor in support of the decisions of the international community and our long standing ally and friend Australia. The decision to deploy the Gurkhas to East Timor was taken principally because they were based in Brunei and therefore already acclimatised and able to deploy quickly. Moreover, some Gurkhas also speak Malay, which is closely related to the Indonesian language and was of considerable use during the operation. The deployment of Brunei based Gurkhas also minimised potential overstretch implications.