§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what review he has carried out, since 1992, of his Department's policy of evicting service families following(a) marital breakdown and (b) the redundancy of service personnel; how many such evictions have taken place in each year since 1992; and if he will make a statement. [21382]
§ Mr. SoamesThe Department's policy on the treatment of personnel who lose their entitlement to service accommodation was examined, as part of the process of transferring responsibility for administering the married quarter estate, to the defence housing executive. Consequently, the defence housing executive will become responsible for evictions within the married quarter estate from 1 April 1996. Records of the reasons for eviction of RAF and Navy personnel who lose their entitlement to service accommodation are not held. The total number of all evictions remains very low, however, as the eviction process is initiated only after all other avenues have been exhausted. Since 1992, there have been no evictions in the RAF, three in the Navy and 45—all marital breakdown—evictions in the Army. The breakdown in years for the Army is as follows:
- 1992: 17
- 1993: 15
- 1994: 6
- 1995: 7
Figures are not yet available for 1996.