Lord Swire
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(2 days, 6 hours ago)
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Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)
I am grateful to the noble Lord for the question; it is important. Nepal is responsible for its own affairs; therefore, the Government have to support good affairs being developed but not take over those issues. The £46.5 million we are currently spending and the programmes we are looking at will be utilised this year, but it is a fluid situation, and the Government need to examine the underlying causes and the potential to provide help and support to overcome those. As part of the review of future years’ expenditure and future programmes post 2025-26, I am sure the Government will reflect on the concerns the noble Lord has mentioned.
Lord Swire (Con)
Can the Minister ensure that remittances from Gurkhas here in the UK, which are vital to some families back in Nepal, are still getting into Nepal? Secondly, we are a large donor to Nepal, and we have a long and established relationship, but we would be kidding ourselves if we thought our influence was as profound as that of its neighbour India. With that in mind, what discussions are the Government having with the Government in Delhi about the current situation there?
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)
I can assure the noble Lord that the relationship between people who are receiving salaries or pensions from the United Kingdom as Gurkhas previously will still be maintained. In fact, I can also assure the noble Lord that recruitment for Gurkha regiments is still ongoing, despite the current unrest in Nepal. We are having discussions with international partners, and India is obviously a significant international partner. The important point from all the contributions of noble Lords is that an assessment needs to be made of what help is required to support stability and good governance, using this year’s £46.5 million overseas programme to support the objectives of stability, good governance, business and growth for what is a long-standing international partner.