16. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers on the potential effect of tax credit regulations on the operational bonus. (105388)

The new tax free operational allowance announced to the House on 10 October was designed to ensure that people’s tax credits would not be affected and they would get the full benefit of the new allowance—I am confident that this has been achieved. The first payments were made in November and some 19,000 personnel have now received the operational allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers on ensuring that the operational bonus is not affected by tax credit regulations. (105389)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh).