Shropshire MP grills Defence Minister over military housing scandal

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has continued her ongoing campaign for improvements to military housing in the county, once again raising the state of mouldy housing at Clive Barracks with the Defence Minister in front of the Commons.

The MP has consistently raised the scandalous condition that many servicemen, women and their families are living in across Shropshire. She most recently raised the ‘rat-infested’ conditions at Tern Hill and the large proportion of housing at Shawbury which is now uninhabitable.

Clive Barracks near Market Drayton has also been in the news due to the shipping style containers that many are being asked to live in until the base is decommissioned in 2029.

Helen has also worked closely with military families based at RAF Shawbury to help fix problems with heating, roofs and damp that have developed in recent years.

Helen is campaigning to improve the standard of both the accommodation and the service provided by the Government’s contractors.

Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, asked:

“The service family accommodation at Clive Barracks in my constituency is very concerning. I have a family living in a mouldy house with severe health problems. The DIO doesn't want to spend the money on fixing those problems, it wants to move them into a different house for the second time in two years.

“So can I ask the minister what commitment he's got to upgrading and maintaining the housing stock, particularly in sites like Clive Barracks, which are earmarked for closure?”

James Cartlidge MP, Minister for Defence Procurement, replied:

“Well, I'm grateful to the honourable lady, she's welcome to write to me about the specific case and I pay tribute to the fact she is very consistent in raising these accommodation issues.

“We had this exchange in Westminster Hall about accommodation, and as I said then, when she raises money, the key to this is investment. We've doubled the budget for maintenance and upgrades this year as part of the extra 400 million we're putting in. That's why we can address so many properties in terms of damp and mould but I'm happy to look at the specifics of that case.”