§ 19. Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gurkha soldiers are serving in the British Army; and with which units. [8369]
§ 20. Mr. Bill O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase the number of service personnel in the Gurkha regiments; and if he will make a statement. [8370]
§ Mr. IngramThe total number of trained Gurkhas in the British Army as at 1 September was 3,500.
511WGurkhas undertake a number of roles, the most significant being infantry but there are also Gurkha Engineers, Gurkha Logisticians and Gurkha Signal specialists. The number of units in the UK in which Gurkhas are currently serving are varied but their most significant collective numbers outside the main Gurkha units are in the Gurkha Reinforcement Companies.