The cash in lieu of rations (Cilor) policy, which is contained within JSP 456, was amended in November 2024 to include the phrase: “Cilor is not to be claimed for cooked foods as this would impact the Service person’s ability to financially obtain the correct calorie intake required for their activity”.
Previously, Cilor could be used to buy cooked meals but this has now changed.
Please may I ask how numerous adventurous training expeditions, run by both units and the Joint Service Mountain Training Centre, are expected to feed personnel during these on-duty, recognised military activities? Some can only access cooked foods, such as mountaineering expeds relying on Alpine huts for feeding (using huts is on the foundation course syllabus) or expeditions to Nepal and Morocco, for example, that often count on tea house-cooked food.
Are they really no longer permitted to use Cilor for that purpose? – Name and address supplied
Thank you for your letter – you raise a very good point.
Cilor is intended to support feeding in locations without access to Service facilities or food supply during military, on-duty activities.
The daily rate is calculated based on a generic basket of local raw ingredients providing 4,000 kcal across three meals per 24-hour period.
The decision to remove the option of purchasing cooked food from restaurants was made because the high cost of such meals often meant personnel could not receive the full nutritional provision without incurring personal expenses or relying on additional funding.
Defence catering policy, as the owners of the Cilor chapter in JSP 456, has agreed to include a footnote clarifying that this can be used for group feeding under specific conditions, such as those mentioned in your letter.
In the meantime, I am happy to approve — or allow the approval of — Cilor claims where a structured feeding plan is guaranteed, such as those provided in Alpine huts, where soldiers and officers can receive the necessary meals at a competitive price.
