JOHN HEALEY: 'We'll stop the rot in armed forces housing with new charter'

Living conditions in armed forces family housing will be transformed as the government introduces a “consumer charter” to drive up standards.

Under the Charter families will be able to count on basic consumer rights, property standards and a robust complaints system.

It’s part of Defence Secretary John Healey’s plan to “stop the rot” in forces housing, after the government bought back 36,000 homes - many of which were run down and in disrepair - last year.

Writing for the Mirror, Mr Healey said the new charter would mean: “Tougher requirements so that homes are clean and functional when families move in, reliable repairs when things go wrong, named housing officers to help, an end to rules that ban families personalising and improving their homes, and a new, simpler complaints process to sort out problems."

He added: “Our Labour Government is prepared to step in when our national interest is at stake - just as we've done with British Steel.

“And our historic deal on military homes gives us the opportunity to stop the rot and start the renewal of an estate run down over decades."

The 1996 sale of forces housing by the Tories was described by the Public Accounts Committee as “disastrous”.

Bringing the estate back into public ownership will save the taxpayer £600,000 a day, which was being paid to private companies to rent back the properties.

The charter is expected to be in place by December, to mark the one year anniversary of the buyback.

In the meantime, the Defence Secretary and Veterans Minister Al Carns have instructed the Ministry of Defence to immediately plan improvements for the new Consumer Charter, as part of a short-term action plan to enhance the family homes after years of neglect.

The Defence Housing Strategy Review is being overseen by Mr Healey and Mr Carns and will be published later this year.

The review is chaired by Natalie Elphicke - the former Conservative MP who defected to Labour shortly before the general election.

“We are dedicated to making changes that will bring real improvements to the lives of families living in military homes and the plans set out in the new charter are an important step towards doing this,” Ms Elphicke said.

“The advisory team, announced today, brings together an exceptional group of individuals, who through their expertise and experience will help ensure our housing strategy maximises benefits, not just to families living in military homes, but to communities and industry more widely.”

Coronation Street legend and armed forces champion Antony Cotton welcomed the new charter.

He said: “Our Armed Forces community are the backbone of our society, so improving the standard of service family housing is essential if we are to continue to retain and recruit the soldiers, sailors and aviators that protect us selflessly, every day.

“I welcome this consumer charter as a starting point to give our military families an improved service, and homes they deserve.”

By JOHN HEALEY, Secretary of State for Defence

The men and women who make up our military embody the best of Britain. The very least they deserve is a safe and decent home.

But service families have been repeatedly let down, and the last Government left military housing in a shameful state. In 1996, John Major ’s Government also struck one of the worst privatisation deals imaginable – selling off armed forces married quarters and renting them back at taxpayers’ expense.

By the time I became Defence Secretary, these rental payments had hit £600,000 a day, with homes run down and left to rot. Private investors cashed in while families lost out.

After six months in office, I announced the landmark buy-back of 36,000 homes, bringing forces’ family housing into public ownership where they belong.

Our Labour Government is prepared to step in when our national interest is at stake – just as we’ve done with British Steel.

And our historic deal on military homes gives us the opportunity to stop the rot and start the renewal of an estate run down over decades.

That historic deal means we can kick-start this change with a new Consumer Charter for forces families – driving the common-sense standards that any of us should expect. Tougher requirements so that homes are clean and functional when families move in, reliable repairs when things go wrong, named housing officers to help, an end to rules that ban families personalising and improving their homes, and a new, simpler complaints process to sort out problems.

These are the basics on which forces families have been failed for years but where we will now act, with changes in place by the one-year anniversary of these homes being bought back.

This Labour Government is renewing our nation's contract with those who serve - and their families.

After years of Tory failure, this is public control and democratic ownership as a foundation for progress as we back our Armed Forces, drive the renewal of our country and deliver our Plan for Change.