§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in his Department. [41024]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Ministry of Defence's policies on the payment to its civil servants of relocation expenses follow the general principles set out in the Civil Service Management Code and are detailed in the MOD Civilian Transfer Manual.
Staff who are transferred in the public interest are entitled to a range of financial assistance to enable them to take up their new duties. Depending upon the circumstances, the individual may be entitled to support for a move of home or, where a move of home is not justified, assistance with additional commuting costs. In order to qualify for reimbursement, expenses must be reasonable, necessarily incurred and result in no overall "betterment" in the standard of housing. In order to facilitate house moves, the Department operates a contractor-run Relocation Company Scheme, which offers Guaranteed Sale Prices to vendors as well as estate agency, survey, removals and legal services.