Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Continuity of Education Allowance rates for the children of service personnel.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) scheme recognises the enormous sacrifices our military families make and aims to minimise the disruption to their children’s education caused by Service commitments involving frequent moves of the family home.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses a weighted average of the schools most attended by CEA claimants to calculate CEA rates. This methodology ensures CEA rates are aligned to the fees paid and reflects the choice of schools made by Service personnel. Following the removal of VAT exemptions for independent schools from January 2025, the MOD recalculated rates mid-year to reflect any changes in schools’ fees. CEA rates have also been recalculated ahead of the new academic term starting September 2025.
The MOD continually monitors feedback from the single Services to ensure that CEA rates balance affordability and value for money while supporting the choices made by Service personnel regarding their children’s education. Following a recent review of CEA methodology, the MOD’s Armed Forces Remuneration team concluded that current rates are effective in meeting these aims.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the Defence Investment Plan.
Answered by Maria Eagle
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge), on 13 June in response to Question 58671.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help support veterans into employment.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans have the support they need after leaving military Service, which includes securing sustainable employment which makes full use of their skills and qualifications.
There is a range of tailored employment support, including the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which is the initial point of resettlement provision for those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities, with directly provided support usually available for two years before and two years after leaving Service.
For those more than two years post-service and looking to take the next step in their career, Op ASCEND connects veterans and their families with employers, supporting them into roles in strategic sectors. CTP and Op ASCEND make up the spine of continuous employment support provided by the Ministry of Defence for Service leavers and veterans.
Armed Forces Champions are also based across the UK’s JobCentre Plus network to help support members of the Armed Forces community into work.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the readiness of UK Armed Forces to meet potential future defence commitments within Europe.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The UK offers almost all the British Armed Forces to NATO, with the majority at high readiness. These forces are across the full spectrum of military capability, including our nuclear deterrent, the ultimate guarantor of Alliance security.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial arrangements have been made for the continued lease of the Diego Garcia military base; and what estimate he has made of the annual costs of that base.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
There is no lease with respect to Diego Garcia. US presence and operations in the British Indian Ocean Territory are governed by a series of international agreements, beginning with a 1966 Exchange of Notes between the US and UK
The direct cost to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for running the UK element of the UK-US military base in the British Indian Ocean Territory in financial year 2023-24 was £3.8 million. This excludes minor costs incurred directly by, for example, visiting units or HQ elements in the UK. Any costs incurred by other government departments cannot be provided by MOD
With regard to the agreement reached between the UK and Mauritius, details of the proposed treaty will come before Parliament for scrutiny in the usual manner following its signature.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what provisional allocation of defence spending he has made to cover the costs associated with the (a) Chagos Islands deal and (b) the transfer of sovereignty to Mauritius.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The terms of the treaty and the associated funding arrangements are still being finalised, and no decision has been made at this time. This will be laid before Parliament in the usual way.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's spending was on Overseas Development Aid in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15 and (c) the first 10 months of 2015-16; and what the recipient countries of that aid were.
Answered by Michael Fallon
Ministry of Defence spending on overseas development assistance was £3.0 million in calendar year 2013 and £2.2 million in calendar year 2014. The 2015 figure is currently undergoing assurance and is scheduled to be published on 1 April 2016. Recipients include Vanuatu, Nepal, refugees from Syria and Lebanon, nations in the Caribbean, Southern Africa and St Helena.