Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to increase the pension for former Gurkha soldiers; and if will he make a statement.

The Government is committed to ensuring that Gurkha veterans continue to receive a fair pension which provides for a good standard of living in Nepal. Gurkha pensions are currently increased in two ways. The first is through an annual increase based on the rate of inflation set by the Nepali Central Bank each year. The second is following a review of the outcome of the 10 yearly Indian Central Pay Commission to determine whether changes made to Indian pension rates, which Gurkha pension rates are currently based on, require increases to be made to British Gurkha Pension rates. The latest review is nearly complete and we expect to announce the outcome in due course.