Rank and deficiency gradients of generalised Thompson groups of type F

For an arbitrary sequence $(G_s)$ of subgroups of finite index in the generalised Thompson group $$F_{n, \infty} = \langle x_0, x_1, \ldots, x_m, \ldots \mid x_i^{x_j} = x_{i+ n-1} \hbox{ for } i > j \geq 0 \rangle$$ it is shown that $\sup_{s \geq 1} d(G_s) < \infty$ and that the deficiency gradient of $F_{n, \infty}$ with respect to $(G_s)$ is 0 provided $[G : G_s]$ tends to infinity. A higher dimensional analogue is considered for $n = 2$.