§ Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Army Families Federation regarding the quality of housing available to service families. [126508]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Chair of the Army Families Federation wrote to the Secretary of State for Defence at the beginning of November 1999 on the importance of investment in housing. The Chairs of the Service family associations raised this with my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces in the Families Forum of the Service Families Task Force on 15 November 1999. My hon. Friend reiterated the MOD's commitment to the upgrade programme for Service families accommodation, recognising its importance to Service families. The issue was also raised at the Army Families Federation Conference on 26 May 2000 where my hon. Friend said that around 60 per cent. of Service Families Quarters were categorised as Standard 1 or close to it (this means that each property meets a series of strict criteria covering factors such as energy efficiency, double glazing and modern bathroom facilities); that approximately 2,400 properties had been upgraded or rebuilt during the financial year 1999–2000 (630 above target); that by the end of that year some £200 million had already been spent on Service family accommodation; and that a minimum of over £60 million would be invested in the programme in the current year.