SWINDON is a potential venue for new homes being created for retired Gurkhas.

Measures to improve financial and social support for the former servicemen have been announced by the Government in response to an inquiry into Gurkha welfare and Swindon is among the locations being considered for homes.

Funding of £960,000 will be given to the company Gurkha Homes to build 32 new affordable homes for Gurkha veterans and their partners in four locations around the UK.

The money comes from a £40m Veterans’ Accommodation fund supported by Libor bank fines.

This is in addition to the £5m funding from Libor fines to be paid to the Gurkha Welfare Trust over the next five years, which was announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.

Through the GWT’s delivery arm in Nepal, the money will be used for healthcare provision and wider social support services for Gurkha veterans.

A GWT spokesman said: “The Gurkha Welfare Trust is committed to supporting Gurkha ex-servicemen and their widows to live out their lives with dignity.

“The recently announced Libor funding is a welcome contribution to our work.”

The changes mean Gurkhas now serve on the same terms and conditions as their British counterparts, apart from a number of small differences.

Significantly, the Government has also decided to establish a scheme to compensate the small number of Gurkhas who were discharged as a result of marrying a non-Nepali, a process which the Government said should never have been allowed.