Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Ministry of Defence dwellings are currently lying empty in each of (1) England, (2) Scotland, and (3) Wales; and what plans they have, if any, to modernise and re-let those dwellings.

As of 27 January 2020 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently has 8951 Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties vacant in England (20%), 850 properties in Scotland (27%) and 274 properties in Wales (25%). These figures represent a snapshot in time as the occupancy rate varies on a daily basis as Service families move in and out. The Department is focused on reducing the number of empty properties in the UK from the current level of 20% overall to a 10% management margin by Autumn 2021. This is being achieved by handing back vacant properties in England and Wales to Annington Homes; widening eligibility to cohabiting couples and Service leavers; and accelerating the letting of temporarily empty properties to screened members of the public at prevailing market rates.

SFA are modernised as required to maintain them at a Decent Homes Standard (DHS). 97% of all SFA meet DHS as a minimum, and are, therefore, available for allocation to Service families. In the last financial year this resulted in approximately 3,800 homes receiving upgrades, including new kitchens and bathrooms.