asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the present value of the boarding school allowance; and what categories of public officials are entitled to receive it. [HL4202]

The allowance previously known as boarding school allowance was renamed continuity of education allowance (CEA) at the start of the school autumn term 2005. The allowance is available to all regular service personnel who are accompanied by their family on frequent assignments at both home and overseas. When claiming CEA, a service person must fully accept that this accompanied service is the overriding principle for any entitlement to CEA.

There are different rates of CEA for the junior and senior stages of a child’s education if a child boards at the school or is a day pupil, and to recognise if a child has a special educational need (SEN). All claimants must pay a minimum of 10 per cent parental contribution to their child’s school fees. The current maximum rates of CEA per term are as follows:

The most up-to-date figures available for the cost of CEA are for the academic year 2005-06, where the cost to the MoD was £93.6 million (before tax and NIC).

Eligible MoD civil servants can only claim schooling allowance(s) when stationed overseas. This allowance is for children attending fee-paying schools overseas or at independent schools in the UK. There is no central record for the costs of the allowance paid overseas, as these are reimbursed by local budgets and details could only be provided at disproportionate cost. All claimants must pay a minimum 10 per cent parental contribution to their child's school fees.

The current maximum rates of schooling allowance per term are as follows:

The annual cost for UK schooling for 2005-06 was £1.1 million (before tax and NIC).