Interesting developments. The MOD is on a serious backfoot here, they are not invoking the D-Notice system, they are simply banning an agency, which is almost unheard of. The last time this was done was on the Ark Royal when a unilateral decision was made in 2003 to switch from BBC because of their coverage of the helo crash and the petulant little ****e of a CBBC reporter on board, to Sky. The Ark was directed, formally, to retune to the "official" station of the BBC.
The MOD does not know which way to turn at the moment - they are not leading on the changes that are being forced through, they are having to react, hence the delay in publishing full information on the operational bonus and the associated fallout with regards to other allowances - they are barely keeping up, and the MOD press office is not coping. The Journos have realised that the information that they want can be got first hand and unfiltered. The MOD would appear to be confronted with a need to adjust, which they are doing in the time-honoured way of blaming everyone and trying to retreat into their shell. However, in the days of information sharing, they are going to lose. The drive for change comes from people pushing information straight into the public domain where it is picked up by the media, etc. The time, if the BAFF gets it right, has come for the soldier/sailor/airman to take the lead and bypass the "official" routes. If Dannatt can do it (or at least appear to do it with smoke and mirrors), then the gloves are off - and it certainly seems far more effective to do it by cutting out the middle man.