Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that children educated at MoD operated schools overseas have had continuity of education in the event that they have returned to the UK since the start of the covid-19 pandemic.

There have been no mass evacuations or repatriations of Armed Forces families from any of our overseas bases where children are educated at MOD operated schools. Where families have returned to the UK on changes of assignment the normal process of maintaining continuity of education for children has been sustained, with the MOD continuing to work closely with the Department for Education (DfE) and devolved equivalents to ensure Armed Forces families are not disadvantaged in the schools admissions processes.

The MOD remains most grateful to the DfE and devolved equivalents for their continuing support of Armed Forces families under the Armed Forces Covenant, even in these challenging times.