Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to support armed forces personnel who do not receive Continuity of Educational Allowance with the increase in the cost of private school fees arising from the introduction of VAT on such fees.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) provides Continuity of Education Allowance to Service Personnel to minimise the disruption to their children’s education caused by Service commitments involving frequent moves of the family home. Their circumstances must fit within specific regulations as laid out in Joint Service Publication (JSP) 752, Chapter 14, especially around accompanied Service and family mobility. 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.