Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Defence Procurement dated 20 March 2023 promised in the Answer of 27 February to Question 146792 on Armed Forces: Housing, how many of the 154 SFA properties that were not allocated due to damp and mould issues in December 2022 (a) have had work completed to resolve the damp or mould issues, (b) have begun work to resolve the damp or mould issues; and c) are still waiting for work to begin to resolve damp or mould issues.

Extensive works are required to address the underlying cause of the damp and mould in the 154 unallocated Service Family Accommodation properties. These properties will remain vacant until the issues are addressed.

Planning has begun in all cases; surveys have been instructed and requirements are being scoped. The outcome of the planning stage will determine the necessary works, which will then be put out to tender.

The Ministry of Defence aim to have these 154 properties ready for allocation to families in the summer of 2023. This will be subject to the confirmation of funding to complete these remediation works, and the necessary ecology licences being granted by local authorities.