Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate has he made of the total cost of issuing operational tour bonuses in each remaining financial year of the current Parliament.

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.