Written question asked by Paul Robert Holmes (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 22 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 25 March 2010. It was answered by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Thursday, 25 March 2010 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Gurkhas: Immigration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which Gurkha veterans' charities his Department has met to discuss implementation of the Government's policy on the settlement of ex-Gurkhas;

Answer: The Ministry of Defence has met with a number of service charities to discuss the mechanisms put in place to support those Gurkha veterans and their dependants who decide to come to settle in the UK under the new immigration rules. These meetings included the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which is the only charity established specifically for the relief of poverty and distress among Gurkha ex-servicemen of the British Crown and their dependants in Nepal. The Ministry of Defence has provided an annual grant to the Gurkha Welfare Trust since it was established in 1969. This grant, which currently amounts to just over one million pounds per year, contributes towards the administrative costs of the trust's field arm operating in Nepal, the Gurkha Welfare Scheme.

Secondary information