XPENDITURE Committee (DEFENCE & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE)
41
4. The Royal Navy is at present testing new types of Gemini Craft which it is hoped will provide an improved service life and a better performance. These new types are as yet at the prototype stage and the earliest they can be expected to be in service is late 1976 or early 1977.
January 1976.
APPENDIX 13
BRITISH SERVICE PERSONNEL IN OMAN (D.31)
Memorandum by the Ministry of Defence (SCOE 67/5)
1. The following are details of the number of British Service personnel in Oman :-
(a) Personnel on loan, 221
(b)
*
*
2. There are also 523 Service personnel on Masirah island where the RAF has staging facilities. 4 Servicement are on the staff of HM Embassy, Muscat.
APPENDIX 14
THE CONDITIONS FOR ACCOMPANIED SERVICE OF GURKHA SOLDIERS (D.32)1
Memorandum by the Ministry of Defence (SCOE 67/6)
1. The entitlement to married quarters for Gurkha soldiers is laid down in their terms and conditions of service as follows:--
Queen's Gurkha officers-100 per cent of establishment (these officers are
promoted to their rank usually after about 15 years service).
Gurkha other ranks-25 per cent of establishment.
It is further laid down that within the above provision warrant officers and sergeants have a 45 per cent entitlement. However, in practice warrant officers and sergeants generally do rather better than the figure of 45 per cent suggests. Gurkha families are all accommodated in family lines within Gurkha units.
2. The Gurkha soldier enlists at the age of about 18 years. Although his first engagement is for 4 years he looks forward to serving for at least 15 years. At the time of enlistment he is usually, though not always, unmarried. Most Gurkhas get married during their first home leave after about 3 years service. The wife would customarily remain with her husband's parents, or sometimes with her own, until permission was granted for her to join her husband.
3. The normal pattern of service for Gurkhas is to serve for 3-year tours with six months home leave at the end of each tour. The Gurkha soldier would normally obtain permission to be accompanied by his family at the beginning of his fourth tour after about 10 years service. Either if quarters were available, or if there were compassionate circumstances, he might obtain permission at the beginning of his third tour, after 7 years service.
4. The degree of separation could be reduced by building more quarters. This would be costly. Besides building costs there would be increased air trooping for the extra families, extra provision in children's schools, and extra allowances to cover the higher cost of maintaining a family in Hong Kong, compared with Nepal.
See Q. 18-19.
January 1976.
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