Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will meet with the hon. Member for Witney to discuss the allocation of new funding for military housing to RAF Brize Norton.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
In January this year, we brought back more than 36,000 family homes into the public sector. In April, we committed to a new consumer charter to deliver basic rights and standards. In May, we committed an additional £1.5 billion for military family homes, as part of at least £7 billion in funding for military accommodation over the next five years. Later this year, a new Defence Housing Strategy will set out a plan for the renewal of the Service family estate.
As an early priority we are proceeding with plans to build 265 new Service family homes at Brize Norton.
I have recently visited RAF Brize Norton to discuss the renewal of the housing estate there with DIO officials and RAF personnel. I would be happy to arrange an appropriate meeting with the hon. Member to brief him on ongoing work in this area.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of VAT on school fees on military families.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence recognises the unique circumstances faced by our Service personnel and that frequent mobility can disrupt children’s education. Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) helps by providing the children of Service personnel with a stable education that would not otherwise be available in the state-maintained day school sector, due to their family’s mobility.
Termly rates of CEA are recalculated to account for changes to fees made by schools for the new academic year. This is usually an annual event but as schools changed their fees for January 2025 in response to the Government’s new VAT policy, the CEA rates were recalculated in December 2024. New rates will be calculated ahead of changes in school fees for September 2025.
The single Services will monitor the impact on retention in service for those claiming CEA following the introduction of VAT on independent school fees. The Pay and Allowances Casework and Complaints Cell (PACCC) will monitor the impact on Service personnel changing schools and withdrawing from CEA. Where a Service person does not meet the eligibility criteria as laid out in JSP 752 and has made a personal choice to use a private school for their child’s education, the MOD is not involved.