§ Mr. Marlowasked the Prime Minister how the allowances for boarding education compare as between the children of Service men and Foreign Office officials.
§ The Prime MinisterAs members of the Diplomatic Service spend the major part of their careers overseas, often in countries where there are no suitable educational facilities, diplomatic staff are reimbursed their full exepenses on boarding education up to the current average charges by a specified range of schools.
Allowances are payable only from the time of the first posting abroad and there is a limit to the time it may continue on return to the United Kingdom. The current ceilings are:
In addition, the diplomat receives £50 for each child after the first when he is overseas.
Boys senior schools £2,810 pa Girls senior schools £2,698 pa Boys junior schools £2,529 pa Girls junior schools £2,428 pa The MOD scheme on the other hand, does not set out to meet the full cost of boarding fees; allowances are payable 300W as a contribution towards the expenses incurred by Service parents who elect to send their children to boarding schools to ensure continuity of their education against the background of their own liability to frequent postings at home and abroad. The allowance is available regardless of the duty station location. The current maximum annual rates are:
For the first and second child £1,176 For the third child £2,043 For the fourth and subsequent children £2,127