Information on cost details of Service Education Allowances that have been spent by Service parents to help provide education for their children at independent schools is not held. When an eligible Service parent claims a Service Education Allowance, it can be used to help provide continuity of education for their child(ren) in either the independent or state maintained school sector; this is the parents' choice. The allowances can also be used at independent or state maintained education establishments that offer professional or vocational qualifications for the post-16 age group. All of these schools and establishments are listed on the Ministry of Defence's Accredited Schools Database.
The net cost of Service Education Allowances for the academic year 2005-06 was £93.6 million and for 2006-07 is estimated to be £93.7 million.
From 1 April 2007, all Service Education Allowances are now managed by the Joint Personnel Administration system. I am able to provide information on the number of Service Education Allowance claimants for 2005-06. This is shown in the following table:
Service Officers Other ranks Total Royal Navy 920 457 1,377 Army 2,675 1,605 4,280 Royal Air Force 1,286 971 2,257 Total claimants 4,881 3,033 7,914
Information on the cost for officer and other rank claimants from the legacy single Service administration systems could be provided only at disproportionate cost.