Oral Answers to Questions

Paul Foster Excerpts

Monday 6th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sadik Al-Hassan (North Somerset) (Lab)]

7. What steps he is taking to improve housing for military personnel and their families.

[Mr Paul Foster (South Ribble) (Lab)]

19. What progress he has made on improving military accommodation.

[Lewis Atkinson (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

21. What steps he is taking to improve housing for military personnel and their families.

--- Later in debate ---

[Al Carns]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. I have lived in some of the accommodation and I have seen how bad it is, and this deal will allow us to change that. Over time we will have a chance, saving £230 million a year, to give the people who serve this country the deal they deserve when it comes to housing.

[Mr Foster]

During my service in the late ’80s, through the ’90s and into the early 2000s, I had the pleasure of having to live in military accommodation. Its poor condition was discussed almost weekly. Roll forward 20 years, and we are still having the same discussion. Can Ministers please assure me that they will now seriously get a grip of that and, through the strategic defence review, give some clear programme delivery dates for when we will deliver for our forces?

[Al Carns]

Absolutely. As part of the SDR, we will set out our new defence housing strategy. We will look at how we take Annington, build on it and improve the housing available for those who serve in our armed forces.