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.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1544", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Milton Keynes North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Lancaster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-02-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-02-12T17:26:41.917Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gurkhas: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4600", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Leo Docherty"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Aldershot"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Leo Docherty"} ], "uin" : "216435"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/937834", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/937834/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
To be eligible for the Gurkha Offer to Transfer (GOTT) in 2007/8, a Gurkha had to have served in the Army on or after 1 July 1997.<\/p>
The service credits applied under the GOTT to service pre-July 1997 were based on actuarial assumptions calculated by the Government Actuary's Department and accepted by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). This is normal practice across the public services for those transferring between pension schemes.<\/p>
The assumptions took into account differences in benefit structures between the Gurkha Pension Scheme and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, including age on joining, length of service and mortality rates.<\/p>
Legal challenges to the terms of the GOTT, up to the European Court of Human Rights, were rejected, with MOD's view that the transfer terms were fair and reasonable being upheld.<\/p>
No pension value was removed from any Gurkha as a result of the GOTT.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1544", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Milton Keynes North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Lancaster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-07-17T15:16:20.357Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-07-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gurkhas: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the pension actuarially of Gurkha's who transferred to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme is 23 to 36 per cent for service that took place prior to 1st July 1997.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hendon"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Matthew Offord"} ], "uin" : "162534"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/484306", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/484306/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government and the people of the United Kingdom hold the Gurkhas in the highest esteem and have done so throughout their 200 years of service to the Crown. Successive Governments have taken steps to ensure that the service provided by Gurkhas is appropriately recognised and reflects the terms and nature of that service, including in relation to pensions.<\/p>
These sentiments were most recently confirmed in the previous Coalition Government's response to the All Party Parliamentary Group report on historic Gurkha grievances and the statement made by my hon. Friend the former Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Ms Soubry) on 29 January 2015 HCWS234.<\/p>
This reaffirmed successive Governments' long standing approach to public sector pension provisions which is that an individual qualifies for a pension according to the rules of that scheme at the time, and that improvements to public sector pension or compensation schemes should not be introduced retrospectively because of the burden such an approach would place on the Exchequer.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/77", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Julian Brazier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Canterbury"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Julian Brazier"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/484306/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "20150129_WMS_Government_Response_to_APPG_on_Gurkha_Welfare[1].docx"} , "title" : "20150115 Hansard extract on Gurkha Welfare"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-03-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-03-30T15:18:50.637Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gurkhas: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on reaching a settlement with Gurkha soldiers who retired before 2000.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1604", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ealing, Southall"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Virendra Sharma"} ], "uin" : "32156"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100348", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100348/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-11-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/100348/answer/previousversion/24595", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3938", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anna Soubry"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxtowe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Anna Soubry"} } , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-11-04T17:31:58.6245968Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Gurkhas: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the number of former Gurkhas who left service on or after 1 July 1997 and transferred to Armed Forces Pension Scheme who are receiving less benefit than if they had remained in the Gurkha Pension Scheme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/429", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Derek Twigg"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Halton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Derek Twigg"} ], "uin" : "211427"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }