A Defence Committee report published today (11 December) finds
that accommodation for Service personnel and their families is
“shocking”, with two-thirds of Service Family Accommodation (SFA)
needing major work to meet modern standards, and families facing
uncertainty over allocation of accommodation.
Issues with damp and mould persist and the report calls on the
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) – the organisation
responsible for maintaining and servicing accommodation – to do
more to resolve outstanding problems with damp and mould across
the Defence estate and provide the Committee with a timeline for
full remediation.
Service families' trust has been damaged and the DIO and service
providers need to demonstrate a genuine “family first” approach
to earn that trust back. The Ministry of Defence's (MOD) claims
of a recovery in contractor performance need to be borne out in a
demonstrable improvement in the customer experience and markedly
increased customer satisfaction. The report calls for better
communication with Service families about maintenance work.
The report calls for the MOD and the Treasury to make ongoing
funding commitments to improve the Defence estate before it
deteriorates beyond repair, and before greater numbers of
personnel decide to leave the military because of poor
accommodation. The report says that the Government should set out
in detail investment plans for Service accommodation. The report
concludes that the current levels of funding are not enough to
bring all Service accommodation up to a decent, modern standard.
The Committee's report is also critical of the MOD's
communication with Service families. The MOD's communication of
the Modernised Accommodation Offer was inadequate for those
adversely affected by the policy change, including those with
rank-based benefits, to understand and respond to its impact on
them. The report notes that since the change of government, there
has been no new announcement on Service accommodation allocation,
leaving some families in limbo. The report calls on Government to
update the Committee, and more importantly Service personnel, on
its approach to allocation of SFA, with timescales and metrics
for implementation.
The report finds that Single Living Accommodation (SLA) –
accommodation provided to single and unaccompanied personnel,
usually in a block on a base – often does not meet the needs and
expectations of today's recruits, which has had an adverse effect
on recruitment and retention. While the report welcomes the
introduction of a “long-awaited” Defence Minimum Standard for
SLA, the Committee warns that this should not simply result in
sub-standard accommodation being recognised but not rectified.
Chair of the Defence Committee, MP, said:
“Our brave Servicemen and women and their families have a right
to live in safe, decent accommodation. Yet evidence received
recently by the Committee exposes the unacceptable conditions
that many are having to endure. Service families' trust has been
further eroded by ongoing maintenance issues.
“It is simply not acceptable to expect those who fight for their
country to live in housing with serious damp and mould –
conditions that pose a danger to their and their families'
health.
“It is clear that many of these problems cannot be solved without
major investment in the Defence estate. However difficult public
finances might be, the Ministry of Defence and Treasury need to
find a way to work together to make sure that all Service housing
on offer genuinely meets a decent standard.
“The Ministry of Defence's mishandled announcement on the
allocation of Service accommodation has also left people in a
state of uncertainty.
“Both low-quality accommodation and uncertainty over eligibility
will only compound the recruitment and retention crisis facing
our Armed Forces.
“Suitable accommodation is a key part of the offer to our Forces.
If the Government is serious about addressing declining morale
and low recruitment, then it needs to act fast.”
