Asked by: Peter Aldous (Conservative - Waveney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of supported housing in helping the transition of war veterans back to civilian life.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Ministry of Defence (MOD) housing supports serving members of the Armed Forces and their families. Given the mobility of our people, and the sometimes sudden changes in their needs, we keep a margin of unoccupied properties available. Where housing is no longer needed, it is MOD policy to release it. The vast majority of veterans make a successful transition to civilian life and we have in place a range of support including for those who find it difficult to find accommodation. This includes the allocation of £40 million to a Veterans Accommodation Fund. The MOD has also gifted land for new veterans housing in the past; Mike Jackson House in Aldershot and The Beacon in Catterick