Member

To speak to the Government’s approach to military families, the Government greatly value the contribution of our serving military personnel and diplomatic staff. To them, we provide clearly defined financial support through the continuity of education allowance, which the noble Lord, Lord Thurlow, mentioned. This is to ensure that the need for frequent mobility, often involving an overseas posting, does not interfere with the education of their children. In order to receive the CEA, the circumstances of the family in question must fit within specific regulations, especially around accompanied service and family mobility. The Government have listened to concerns raised and, in response, the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have recalculated their CEA rates for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year. The ceilings for this support will be reviewed regularly.