The move came after House of Commons Defence Committee today slammed the MoD for the state of its housing.
 
However, responding to the Defence Committee report on Defence Estates, Defence Minister Bob Ainsworth today said: “This is an issue we take very seriously and I recognise that good quality housing is a fundamental part of the welfare package we give to our armed forces personnel and their families. However, I acknowledge that there are problem areas of the estate which require significant work.
 
“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 – over the next 10 years we will spend £5billion on housing and other living accommodation.
 
“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.
 
“We will look in detail at the points raised in the HCDC Report, and will respond fully in due course.”