Government told to resume home improvements for military families

The Commons Defence Committee said a three-year stoppage in the upgrade programme, announced earlier this year, sent the “wrong signal” to service personnel and their families.

The committee yesterday said it was “unacceptable” that more than 60 per cent of the forces’ single living accommodation was rated as not being in a satisfactory condition and that the MoD was unable to say when the situation would be rectified.

MPs said service personnel regarded the provision of decent housing as “fundamental” to the Armed Forces Covenant – setting out the nation’s obligations to its fighting men and women – and that delaying upgrade work was a “false economy”.

“The announcement sent out the wrong signal to armed forces personnel about the importance the Government attached to the Armed Forces Covenant,” the committee said.

“We recommend that the MoD look again urgently at the stoppage and consider whether the increased long-term cost that is likely to accrue from this policy means that it is making a decision on a false economy and whether it should find the additional resources required to reinstate the upgrade programme.”

The committee said that the MoD needed to devise a well thought-through communications plan to explain to families exactly what was being done about their accommodation.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: “Those who call for even more spending need to explain where the money would come from, and which programmes they would cut to fund this.”