Amid persisting issues with damp and mould, the Defence Committee 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. 

According to the report, 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, it said. 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 UK Government should set out in detail investment plans for service accommodation. It 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 the 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, Tan Dhesi 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.”

A spokesperson for Amey, the accommodation provider, said: “Amey is proud to serve the armed forces, and we take our duty of care to military families extremely seriously.

“Our service levels and customer feedback scores have improved substantially since the Defence Committee began its inquiry. We have recruited additional engineers and customer support personnel, refined processes and are using new technology to help deliver more responsive services. Separately, the majority of homes prepared for Move In achieve standards agreed with DIO. We are not complacent and know there is more to be done to build back trust with service personnel and their families.

“We welcome the report’s conclusion that many of the issues now being experienced are due to an historic lack of investment in service family accommodation, poor original build quality and the recognition that substantial and ongoing funding commitments are required to improve the Defence estate. We remain committed to working with the DIO and the other contractors to continue to improve our services.”