Rank Class

Dunfermline and West Fife Labour MP Thomas Docherty has asked why the Ministry of Defence continues to "subsidise private schools" at a time when it is being forced to make cuts to troop numbers and equipment.
The answer he received revealed that the lion's share - £40 million of the £111m a year spent on the Continuity in Education Allowance (CEA) - an allowance intended to provide service personnel with help towards providing a private education for their children as recompense for continual overseas postings - goes to lieutenant colonels and the ranks above, who earn at least £81,000 per year. While 44 per cent of brigadiers, 42 per cent of major generals, 40 per cent of colonels and 32 per cent of lieutenant generals receive the support, only 0.1 per cent of privates and less than 10 per cent of non-commissioned officers get it, even though the scheme is supposed to be open to all. Only three per cent of sergeants received this award in the last financial year whereas over a quarter of lieutenant colonel's received this award for their children, showing the huge disparity between officers and non-officers

"It is outrageous that the Ministry of Defence is subsidising private education of service personnel that favour the officer ranks," he said.