Fixing military accommodation is a priority, new Armed Forces Minister promises
The new Armed Forces Minister has said he is not happy with the state of military accommodation - and fixing it is a priority for the new Government.
Speaking to Forces News, Luke Pollard, who has been the MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport since 2017, said immediate steps were being taken, with announcements to be made very soon.
He said the Government was looking at how it could "quickly improve those standards", to ensure there is a defence estate "decent for people to live in" – which it hoped would also have a positive effect on retention.
Mr Pollard said: "We're looking at what the options are. We've only been in office for a few days, but we've set out very clearly in our manifesto and in opposition that sorting out defence housing is a priority for us.
"It's something that we're determined to do.
"Holding contractors to the contracts they have signed should be a basic.
"That hasn't happened always over the past few years, poor quality contracts have been delivered to many contractors that can make huge profits while not delivering the service that they are contracted to deliver.
"Let's be absolutely clear. We're not happy with the state of military accommodation, for defence personnel and their families and it is a priority for us to fix it."
Maria Eagle, the new Defence Procurement Minister, is due to set out what immediate steps will be taken in the coming weeks.
As the Prime Minister is facing criticism for refusing to guarantee that he will meet his flagship commitment to increase defence spending within his first term in office, the Armed Forces Minister said the "first step in that process is a strategic defence review that we'll announce next week".
He outlined the need to not just look at the threats we are facing but also the "capability gaps across our Armed Forces".
He added: "What we spend on defence, the 2.5% commitment that we have made is important, but how we spend it is equally as important.
"In the past, the MOD hasn't always spent money as efficiently as I would like."
Mr Pollard also outlined the role of the new Armed Forces Commissioner, due to be announced in the King's Speech next week.
He said it will be "an independent person, able to take up and champion the issues affecting Armed Forces personnel and their families".
"These are the steps we're taking to improve the contract between the nation and those who serve."
Mr Pollard, whose father served in the Royal Navy, said: "A career in the Armed Forces is one of the best decisions that you can possibly make.
"We need to make sure that service life is better, not just for those who serve, but for their families as well.
"I know that morale has been falling. I know there are deep frustrations with some of the decisions that have been taken and some of the frustrations of decisions that haven't been taken as well.
"If we are to get our forces in the shape we need to deter any aggression in the future, we not only need that kit and equipment sorted out, the capability gaps filled, but we need to make sure that those frustrations – accommodation, child care, a decent rest time after deployments – are properly addressed."
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