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A2. NO: UNDER THE DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT NEGOTIATED BETWEEN HMG AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN 1975, THREE GURKHA BATTALIONS ARE STATIONED IN HONG KONG,
Q3. WILL THE THE FIVE GURKHA BATTALIONS BE ROTATED THROUGH HONG KONG, BRUNEI AND UK?
A3, YES: IN PARTICULAR IT IS OUR AIM TO ARRANGE FOR EACH BATTALION IN TURN TO SERVE IN UK WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL-ARMS TRAINING NOT AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG OR BRUNEI.
Q4. DO YOU STILL INTEND TO AMALGAMATE THE TWO BATTALIONS OF 2GR
AND REDUCE THE BRIGADE TO 6000 WHEN THE AGREEMENT WITH THE
SULTAN OF BRUNE! ENDS?
44. THIS WILL DEPEND UPON THE DEFENCE REQUIREMENTS CURRENT AT
THE TIME.
Q5. THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY OVER THE FUTURE OF THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED
THE BRIGADE?
AS. TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THE REDUCTION TO 4 BATTALIONS SOME UNDERMANNING HAS BEEN PERMITTED. GURKHA RECRUITING IS BUOYANT AND THE BRIGADE WILL BE BACK AT FULL STRENGTH BY 1980. THE RECRUITING OF BRITISH OFFICERS WAS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THE REDUCTIONS IN THE BRIGADE IN THE PERIOD 1967-72, BUT THIS IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM.
06, IS THERE ANY INTENTION OF EXPANDING THE BRIGADE OF GURKHAS TO MAKE GOOD SHORTAGES ELSEWHERE IN THE BRITISH ARMY?
AS. NO.
Q7. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HAVING A GURKHA BATTALION IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM?
A7. IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE THERE ARE NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL- ARMS TRAINING (EG WITH ARMOUR AND ARTILLERY) IN HONG KONG AND BRUNET GURKHA BATTALIONS ARE STATIONED IN UK IN TURN TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN THIS ESSENTIAL MILITARY EXPERTISE. SECONDLY, WHILE THEY ARE HERE THEY CAN UNDERTAKE CERTAIN SHORT-TERM COMMITMENTS WITHIN
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1 THE
THE UK WHICH
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