Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December to Question 111517 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many calls related to (a) damp and (b) mould in Forces accommodation were received in each year since 2010.

The National Service Centre came into service in April 2022 and since that date has taken 2,684 calls relating to damp and mould issues. The information requested prior to April 2022 is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Ministry of Defence has a robust damp and mould management policy for Service Family Accommodation, and from the start of the Future Defence Infrastructure Services contract in April 2022 a dedicated hotline has been in operation for the reporting of damp and mould. No properties with reported issues should be allocated.

Should damp and mould emerge during occupancy, we have set up a dedicated hotline for families to make a report. Reports are now investigated by a professional surveyor and, where appropriate families should be offered alternative accommodation.

We are investing £73 million in improved thermal efficiency this Financial Year on top of £25 million per annum over the last three years, to further reduce occurrence of damp and mould.