§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what arrangements are being made in respect of married quarters in the United Kingdom for service personnel formerly serving in the Rhine forces and posted to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
(2) how many married families will return to Britain from the Rhine forces in the next 12 months.
§ Mr. SoamesAn estimated 7,500 Army families will return from Germany this year, and around 1,400 RAF families are expected to return between 1 April 1995 and 31 March 1996. There are at present no significant numbers of naval personnel serving in Germany.
A number of accommodation options are open to service personnel returning to the United Kingdom on posting from Germany. They may either move into their own homes or seek to purchase their own property; move into vacant service families accommodation at or near their place of duty; or, if no suitable vacant SFA is available, they may claim excess rent allowance which will allow them to rent a property in the private sector. A number of SFA properties have been held vacant to accommodate returning families.