Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the National Audit Office report, Departmental Overview 2015-16, Ministry of Defence, published 21 October 2016, page 17, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of complaints made to CarillionAmey about service families' accommodation.

Between Financial Year 2009-10 and 2014-15 the Department spent approximately £660 million on both maintenance and improvement works for Service Family Accommodation (SFA). Works have included new boilers, loft insulation, kitchens and bathrooms, and the replacement of roofs. 96.5% of our SFA now meet or exceed the Department for Communities and Local Government's 'Decent Homes' standard. This means that the vast majority of our properties are: compliant with statutory health and safety regulations, in a decent state of repair, reasonably modern and provide a level of thermal comfort through efficient heating and effective insulation.

The Ministry of Defence continues to hold our housing contractor CarillionAmey to account for its performance in managing SFA through robust monitoring of contract performance indicators and demanding action where the standards are not met; these performance indicators include routine and emergency repairs and the handling and management of complaints.