To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009, Official Report, column 223W, on armed forces: accommodation, what the maximum sum payable under (a) food and incidental allowance, (b) get you home travel allowance, (c) home to duty travel allowance and (d) recruitment and retention allowance (London) was in the latest period for which figures are available; how many personnel at each (i) staff officer rank and (ii) equivalent civil service payband claimed each allowance in that period; and what the single (A) highest and (B) lowest claim for each allowance as at each rank or payband in that period. (300247)

[holding answer 23 November 2009]: The allowances mentioned are paid only to Service personnel who meet the relevant eligibility criteria, and not to civilians. Rates of allowances are reviewed annually.

Food and Incidental Allowance is paid at a daily rate of £12.78 (£383.40 per month, pro rata). This is paid to assist single and unaccompanied Service personnel in the UK to meet the necessary costs of food and incidental expenses when they are without access to Service accommodation/messing facilities, but have self-catering facilities, and does not require submission of receipts.

Recruitment and Retention Allowance (London) is paid at a daily rate £3.76 for all Service Personnel who work within five miles of the statue of King Charles I at Charing Cross. This is paid to counter reluctance to serve in designated London locations by contributing to the higher costs encountered during a permanent assignment in London and by compensating for the reduced quality of the supporting infrastructure.

Get You Home Travel, the rate of which is determined by the distance from a family home and the place of duty. The minimum amount payable is £1.07, commencing at 20 miles, and the maximum amount payable is £13.39 per day. The latter represents a family home being 530 miles away from a place of duty. It is paid to support the mobile nature of the Services and improve retention by reducing the financial impact of separation on Service personnel.

Home to Duty (Public) is paid to those eligible service Personnel who reside in Forces Family Accommodation, to assist with the daily cost of travel between their home and place of duty. In certain circumstances, Service personnel in receipt of Get You Home Travel will not be eligible for concurrent payment of Home to Duty (Public). Dependant on the distance and method of travel used the following maximum rates are payable:

Home to Duty (Private) is payable to those eligible Service Personnel who do not occupy Service Accommodation, to assist with the daily cost of travel between their home and place of duty. Service personnel in receipt of Get You Home Travel will not be eligible for concurrent payment of Home to Duty (Private). Dependant on the distance and method of travel used the following maximum rates are payable:

Most allowances are payable on qualifying criteria other than rank held. The status of ‘staff officer' has a number of different meanings and could be applied to a specific appointment undertaken by a Junior Military Officer or those officers of starred rank. As a result it would be difficult to obtain information on recipients of ‘staff officer' status, as it would require the application of varied parameters to a number of different searches which could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All of these allowances are applicable to commissioned and non-commissioned personnel.