§ LORD BLYTONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement on the provision of married quarters for the Royal Navy.]
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, good progress has been made with the provision of married quarters in the United Kingdom and we believe that, with the quarters now existing and those in the current building programme, supplemented by a reasonable number of hired quarters to provide flexibility, we shall be within sight of eliminating long waiting lists for official accommodation at most naval ports and establishments. There are over 8,000 married quarters and 3,300 hirings in the United Kingdom occupied by naval families now. Approximately 5,500 more quarters are being built in the current programme. Included in these is a new housing estate at Gosport on which 1,500 houses and flats together with community facilities are being built by an industrialised system. The first of these quarters have already been occupied and are very popular.
Already we have been able to ease certain restrictive rules on the occupation of naval married quarters in the United Kingdom, which had been necessary earlier because of the shortage of quarters. We shall relax restrictions as soon as possible at the few places where they have had to be retained. If there are signs of increasing demand, extra quarters will be added to the building programme.
§ LORD BLYTONMy Lords, while thanking my noble friend for that Answer, and recognising that this scheme is an advance on the previous scheme as I know it, I would ask him if he can tell me whether the abolition of the three-year rule would mean that a naval family may now settle permanently on a married quarters estate of their own choice?
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMNo, my Lords. The basic qualification for a married quarter is still linked with the husband's service at a particular establishment or port, or in a ship based at, or operating from, that port. The abolition of the three-year rule means that a family may continue to live in the same married quarters during successive drafts or appointments for the husband, if he is still based on the same port. It also means that a family will never be faced with having to move from a married quarter while the husband is away, as sometimes happened under the old rules.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, without wishing to disturb the harmony of an obviously "planted" Question, may I ask whether the noble Lord can tell us anything about married quarters in either Gibraltar or Singapore?
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMThat is another question, my Lords.
§ LORD CARRINGTONWith great respect, my Lords, it is not. It is asked in the original Question.
§ LORD WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I am afraid that I cannot give exact details about the provision of married quarters, although I know that in Singapore hirings are easily available and there is no heavy housing problem there.