CEA Rate Calculation Specifics

Dear Ministry of Defence,

Please provide the calculations for the recent Summer 2024 CEA term, showing how the ceilings were calculated. Where possible, show how the figures were derived from representative schools' fees and identify those schools used and the rates used. Finally, provide the rationale behind the selection of the schools for ceiling calculation with respect to the actual distribution of MOD CEA claimants across private schools and any documentation supporting these decisions.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Luke

Dear Ministry of Defence,

I was expecting a response to my FOI request by yesterday, as required by law. The request is being made because of the great stress placed upon CEA claimants by the lack of transparency over how MOD will handle the VAT increase. It is critical that you are open about this to enable families to understand whether they have been supported correctly in line with policy and to also examine how future rates may be calculated under the new VAT regime. This is not a vexatious request but a plea for information from your people. Please answer swiftly and if you cannot answer this week, I would like you to conduct an internal review.

Thank you,

Mike Luke

Dear Ministry of Defence,

You have still not answered nor provided any explanation for the delay. For the avoidance of doubt, I now require you to conduct an internal review.

Yours faithfully,

Mike Luke

Dear CIO-FOI (MULTIUSER),

It is now a week beyond 4 Oct, when you predicted that the response would be provided, which is itself well beyond the deadline noting the relative simplicity of this question.

If you require longer to address a part of the request that is proving difficult, please can you explain this and provide an intermediate response covering the remainder of the request.

Armed forces families are hanging upon the government's plan to resolve this threat to military childrens' upbringing, which is entirely of the government's making. I would urge the MOD team handling this request to give its importance due consideration as they prioritise the handling of the range of requests awaiting their attention.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Luke

Dear CIO-FOI (MULTIUSER),

This is now approaching a month overdue and is essential for parental decision-making approaching implementation of the VAT changes. You have a legal duty to provide an answer promptly. This is an important matter affecting the lives of many children and should be prioritised. Please provide an explanation of the delay and expedite handling of the request.

Thank you,

Mike Luke

Dear CIO-FOI (MULTIUSER),

I am afraid this has taken far too long for a very straightforward request. It is with great regret that I will have to refer this to the Information Commissioner, a step that absolutely should not be required for seeking basic information on a well-established procedure.

A large number of MoD personnel are anxious about this subject and you should consider whether your failure to prioritise this sufficiently has in fact let down not just members of the public and breached UK law, but harmed your own MoD colleagues. Calculations of the VAT impact absolutely hinge upon the answer to this request.

It saddens me that this request has received no apparent priority given it's importance and that the projected delayed completion date is now 4 weeks ago. Your people deserve better and so I have little choice but to refer this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Luke

Dear Ministry of Defence,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Ministry of Defence's handling of my FOI request 'CEA Rate Calculation Specifics'.

I would like an internal review regarding the application of the PIT exemption to the first part of my request, which was solely factual relating to the correct application of existing policy and not the formulation of policy. I would like a response on the following first part of my request:

"Please provide the calculations for the recent Summer 2024 CEA term, showing how the ceilings were calculated. Where possible, show how the figures were derived from representative schools' fees and identify those schools used and the rates used."

You will note that these questions do not relate to discussions over the formulation of policy but are simply mathematical calculations that have been used to derive the previous rates. I cannot see how these calculations, which directly affect MoD remuneration, can make it disproportionately more difficult for "government officials to discuss policy freely and frankly, exchange views on the available options, and understand their possible implications". These calculations are now historic and their premise is laid down in policy, so it is reasonable to seek to see them. MoD should be able to demonstrate that it is making these calculations accurately.

I accept that the latter part of my request may have been deemed to fall under the PIT exemption but this should not have prevented a response to the first part of my request re-stated above.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Yours faithfully,

Mike Luke