Dear Ministry of Defence,

Please could you provide the latest copy of JSP 800 and any other documents related to or associated with Rail Travel in the UK, with an emphasis on the first-class travel conditions.

I would be grateful if you could highlight any exemptions to standard policy for those with disabilities (mental and physical) that would warrant rail travel at a first-class level when not ordinarily eligible.

If any such exemptions do exist, can you please clarify how one would go about obtaining/exercising such exemptions if they are, for example, a Civilian Instructor in the Royal Air Force Air Cadets.

Furthermore, once exercised, would these exemptions be continuous (based on an ongoing mental and/or physical disability,) or case-by-case approvals?

Yours faithfully,

R Coton

Dear DBS Secretariat Team,

Thank you for your response dated 29 October 2018 with reference FOI2018/12193, stating that you wish me to further clarify what information I am interested in obtaining.

In response to this request for clarification, I would like to state that I am interested in the first-class rail policy of the MOD on both the civilian and military side. For the purposes of this request, I would like answers to the questions posed from both a MOD civil servant and service individual perspective, highlighting similarities and differences, but with an emphasis and focus on the Royal Air Force Air Cadets.

With the latter in mind, are junior officers (APO to Flt Lt RAFAC), NCOs and Civilian Instructors allowed to request and/or exercise an exemption to the standard class rail policy to utilise first class travel where it would otherwise not be permitted, if the justification for doing so would be a reasonable adjustment for a declared disability? I would like details of any such exemption that does exist and details of the surrounding process of exercising it.

For example, if a Civilian Instructor on an Air Cadet Squadron in Warwickshire & Birmingham Wing was seeking a commission and must undertake rail travel to RAF Cranwell to attend an Officer Aircrew and Selection Centre date. If the individual had a disability that would cause unreasonable anxiety and/or distress for undertaking a long-distance journey such as this, could they request first class travel to mitigate at least in part this anxiety/distress and would the MOD classify this as a reasonable adjustment. Would they approach their Commanding Officer (usually Flt Lt) or would a higher authority be required (e.g. WSO, Wg Ex O, Wg Cdr)? Would the MOD give due regard if this adjustment has been made before for this individual in employment?

If the CO of the Sqn would support this case but the Wg would not, how would the individual dispute and/or escalate this? I am interested in the whole process if possible.

Whilst researching this topic, I found that JSP 752 (v36 Oct 18) is available online (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...) and it states under Chapter 6 Section 8 – Rail Travel that:

"06.0803. Rail Travel in the UK. For guidance on Rail Travel in the UK, refer to JSP 800, Volume 2, (Defence Movements and Transportation Regulations) Part 4, which is the regulations governing all aspects of passenger travel by rail. This includes entitlement to class of travel, the use of Service arranged tickets and railcards, underground travel and troop movements (but see paragraph 06.0807 for additional conditions concerning classes of travel)."
and
"Conditions
Rail Travel and/or Eurostar in the UK and the RoI.
06.0807. Class of Travel. The class of rail and/or ferry travel to be used by Service personnel, immediate family or other entitled personnel is laid down in JSP 800."

both refer to JSP 800, for which the only copy I can find publicly is a version in 2010 (https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/6...) but this does not mention reasonable adjustments or medical exemptions of any kind.

I therefore restate that I would like a full, unredacted and up-to-date copy of JSP 800, or if this is not possible, copies of the relevant sections to this request, along with a written narrative or graphical diagram detailing what the MOD would classify as falling under any medical exemption such as a reasonable adjustment and how an individual would request such an exemption. Would it be done using a rail warrant issued by Wg? would they have to purchase their own tickets and claim it back? If the individual had a railcard (e.g. 16-25/Disabled/Senior etc.) would the procedure be any different?

I hope this clarifies my request with enough detail that you may be able to provide me with a satisfactory answer. I note that I submitted my request on the 1st October 2018 which you acknowledge was received on that date and that as of the date of your response, you are right against the 20th working day deadline for an FOI request. I understand that asking for clarification resets the clock and I am disappointed that you waited 20 working days to request further clarification without even an acknowledgement that my request had been received and logged.

I look forward to your prompt reply that should in any case be no later than the 28th November 2018 (A further 20 working days)

Yours faithfully,

Mr R Coton