HC Deb 05 March 1992 vol 205 c286W
Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration was given to setting up a housing task force prior to August 1991.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence referred in the White Paper "Britain's Army for the 90s" to his intention to set up a task group to bring service housing up to date with developments in the community. The housing task force was established shortly thereafter.

Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the terms of reference of the housing task force.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The terms of reference of the task force were to review the arrangements for service housing, building on work already undertaken by the Department and to identify any other practical initiatives which should be taken, with a view to ultimately developing a comprehensive scheme for service housing. To this end, the task force was to:

  1. (a) assess the extra steps which should be taken to help those leaving the services over the next three to four years.
  2. (b) address ways of building quickly on initiatives that had already been devised to encourage home ownership by the services.
  3. (c) examine other options to put service men and women on the housing ladder as a normal part of their career pattern.

Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he informed(a) the Association of District Councils, (b) the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and (c) the Association of County Councils of the contents of his briefing on the work of the housing task force.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

My noble Friend the Earl of Arran hopes shortly to meet representatives of local authority associations in England, Wales and Scotland together with my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning to discuss the Government announcements on housing the armed forces.

Mr. O'Neill

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to be able to conclude his considerations of the housing task force recommendation.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

I have nothing to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington) on 24 February,Official Report, column 395.

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