MP's concerns over conditions at Cosford airbase

Mark Pritchard said he was concerned about the state of accommodation for families living at RAF Cosford, between Wolverhampton and Telford.

Mr Pritchard, Conservative MP for The Wrekin, wrote to Defence Secretary John Healey, asking what steps he was taking to upgrade and modernise married living quarters at the RAF base.

Mr Pritchard said he had received several reports about less than satisfactory accommodation at Cosford, particularly with regards to family accommodation.  

He said many of the properties did not meet the Decent Homes Standard, set out by the Blair government in the early 2000s to help define minimum standards for council and housing association properties.

He said sub-standard accommodation was an obstacle to recruiting much-needed personnel for the armed forces.

"Service personnel should not have to live in conditions which do not even meet the minimum standard required for social housing," said Mr Pritchard.

"If the armed forces are to recruit and retain enough talented people, the Government should invest more in upgrading military accommodation.  It is also the right thing to do for those who serve in the Armed Forces to keep us safe."

Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, responded by saying that approximately 95 per cent of service family accommodation supporting RAF Cosford was at or above the Decent Homes Standard.

"Improving our service accommodation across the UK and providing good quality homes that are safe and well maintained is a top priority for the department," she said.

"This Government is committed to setting new minimum standards for military housing, with the aim of improving the standard of service family accommodation across the estate. Circa £440 million is currently forecast to be spent on maintaining and improving family accommodation across the defence estate within financial year 2024-25."