Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Service Accommodation

Monday 26 June 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister of Defence reported investment of over 936 million in service family accommodation.
  • MOD spent 185 million last year on modernising homes and tackling issues like damp and mould.
  • Currently, 97% of MOD SFA meet or exceed the decent homes standard.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Defence
Context

The MP raises concerns about the quality of service family accommodation, noting substandard conditions and potential safety issues.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of service accommodation for the armed forces? The Minister will have noticed substandard quality and squalor in certain cases. Some 800 families live in potentially unsafe homes without gas safety checks. What action is being taken to make these homes safe?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The Ministry of Defence has invested over £936 million in service family accommodation. Last year, £185 million was spent on modernising homes and tackling issues like damp and mould. Currently, 97% of MOD SFA meet or exceed the decent homes standard. On gas safety, an issue was identified on May 2nd, and 555 outstanding gas safety certificates will be cleared by June end.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not confirm specific actions beyond stating timelines for clearing gas safety checks.

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Q2 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Defence Housing Energy
Context

The MP highlights the substandard quality of service family accommodation, noting that some families are living in unsafe conditions without proper gas safety checks.

Question

When visiting various sites, I noticed substandard quality and squalor. Some 800 families live in potentially unsafe homes without gas safety checks. What action is being taken to make these homes safe?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The MOD recognises the importance of good-quality homes. On May 2, my hon. Friend was made aware of gas and electric safety issues. Currently, there are 555 outstanding gas safety certificates, almost all of which will be cleared by June end.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide details on specific actions other than timelines for completing checks.

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Q3 Mark Francois Con Rayleigh and Wickford
Defence Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The MP criticises the Future Defence Infrastructure Services contract for failing to ensure proper safety checks, questioning if the head of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation should consider stepping down.

Question

Private or professional landlords would face legal action for not completing safety checks. It is unacceptable that armed forces personnel are at risk due to a broken contract. If the head of Defence Infrastructure Organisation is out of his depth, should he step down?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

My hon. Friend identified an issue that my Ministerial colleague acted upon immediately to rectify it. I am not interested in getting people's scalps but ensuring issues are resolved, and this is happening.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address the specific ask regarding stepping down of the head of Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

How: Getting People'S Scalps

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