Armed Forces: Pay
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many individuals does he expect to receive an operational tour bonus in each remaining financial year of the current Parliament.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones
Operational Allowance (OA) is a location‑driven allowance that recognises increased and enduring danger in Specified Operational Locations (SOLs). The number of Service Personnel in receipt of OA reflects the number of Service Personnel deployed to SOLs.
SOL status is kept under regular review and is considered by the Permanent Joint Headquarters’ (PJHQ) Operational Records Board on a six‑monthly basis. As operational activity varies according to Defence commitments, entitlement to OA fluctuates accordingly.
It is not possible to forecast how many individuals will receive OA in future financial years, nor the cost. Forecasting would require assumptions about the scale, location, and duration of future operational activity.
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