HC Deb 14 December 1981 vol 15 c56W
Mr. Dobson

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost to public funds of financial support provided for the children of Service men in respect of the provisions of places in private schools for non-handicapped children; how many pupils were involved; and how many of that total were sons and daughters of commissioned officers.

Mr. Wiggin

The information requested is not available in that form. However, the total cost of boarding school allowances paid to Servicemen in 1980–81 was £M42.3. The total number of children claimed for was 20,637. Of these 13,695 were the children of commissioned officers, and 3,215 were at boarding schools in the public sector. It is not possible to identify officers' children within the latter group.