§ Diana Organ:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his policy that members of the armed services are responsible for payment of repairs to buildings, following a burst water tank, when they are the key holder of Ministry of Defence housing. [123904]
§ Mr. Caplin:Military personnel occupy Service Families' Accommodation under a contractual licence and have a general obligation to report structural defects including leaks or water tank bursts. Where damage to the fabric of the building occurs through negligence on the part of the licensee, the terms of the licence allow the staff of the Defence Housing Executive to raise charges in respect of the cost of repairs.