Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

MilitaryLatest NewsEconomics, government & business

Poor military housing hampers recruitment and retention, MPs warn

by Gareth Vorster 14 Sep 2007
by Gareth Vorster 14 Sep 2007

MPs have warned the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that the state of domestic barracks is “unacceptable”.

The House of Commons’ defence select committee published a report on Defence Estates, which highlights a number of concerns about living accommodation.

It said that the “disgraceful” accommodation is leading to problems with military recruitment and retention. And by neglecting domestic accommodation, the ministry risks losing experienced personnel during a particularly difficult period for the armed forces.

MPs began an investigation following a wave of complaints about the dismal state of rundown and neglected barracks and married quarters. The report revealed some facilities had overflowing drains, while up to eight military personnel were made to sleep in a single room.

Bob Ainsworth, the Armed Forces minister, welcomed the investigation and acknowledged that there were problem areas of the estate which require “significant work”.

Ainsworth said: “We are making progress in upgrading our housing and accommodation – a big task considering that we manage some 71,000 family properties and 165,000 bed-spaces worldwide. It’s also a big task because we are trying to reverse a legacy of decades of under-funding.

“To ensure continued improvement, my colleague Derek Twigg and I are taking an active lead in the work being done on accommodation. We want to ensure a step-change and to drive forward further work on accommodation. I’d like to reassure members of our Armed Forces and their families, that ministers are committed to doing all we can to provide good quality housing,” he added.

The ministry spent £700m on housing and accommodation last year, and said it expected to spend £5bn in the next decade.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

In 2005-06, it modernised and upgraded 1,705 family homes. In 2006-07, it aims to upgrade another 1,200.

The report encouraged the MoD to continue with initiatives such as The Slam Project a housing programme which has already created 6,000 new bed places, with another 3,000 in the pipeline.

Gareth Vorster

previous post
CBI backs Manchester Employers Alliance gun crime initiative to boost employment opportunities for disaffected youth
next post
John Denham universities minister calls on universities to offer more part-time degrees

You may also like

Man who juggled four council jobs guilty of...

18 Jul 2025

House of Lords votes against day-one dismissal rights

18 Jul 2025

Government launches call for evidence on unpaid internships

18 Jul 2025

Hospitality made up 45% of latest job losses

18 Jul 2025

‘Window of opportunity’ to avert resident doctor strikes

18 Jul 2025

Jaguar Land Rover to lose 500 management roles

18 Jul 2025

Gender pay gaps narrow in 2024-25

17 Jul 2025

UK job vacancies fall to a 10-year low

17 Jul 2025

Zero-hours employees may have to request guaranteed hours

17 Jul 2025

How to avoid the ‘Netflix effect’ in learning...

17 Jul 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+