New military housing plans to end 'scandal'

A NEW body is needed to run military housing because the Ministry of Defence has previously "failed" servicemen and women, Defence Secretary John Healey said.

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The Defence Housing Service will take over management of service accommodation after years of complaints about poor quality homes.

During a visit to newly improved accommodation in Uxbridge, West London, alongside Al Carns, minister for the armed forces, on Monday, Mr Healey said there has been a "scandal" in forces housing for decades.

He told the PA news agency: "Defence has failed those who serve on their housing.

"We ask extraordinary things of those who serve, we ask them to deploy sometimes at a week's notice to the other side of the world, we ask them and their families to move every three years, and the very least they deserve is a decent home.

"The very last thing you want our forces to worry about is whether their husband or wife and child back home is living in a damp, cold, leaky home - we're putting an end to that."