Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual cost to the public purse is of the Continuity of Education Allowance.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the unique circumstances faced by our serving personnel and that frequent mobility can disrupt children’s education. The Continuity of Education Allowance helps by providing the children of serving personnel with a stable education that would not otherwise be available in the state-maintained day school sector, due to their family’s mobility.

For Academic Year 2023-24, the MOD paid £88.6 million for Continuity of Education Allowance to support the education of 4,005 children for 2,666 Service personnel.