Better Housing for Troops after Fox Meeting

Posted on Sunday, 21st October 2007

According a report by the National Audit Office, a significant number of personnel could be living in poor quality accommodation for the next 20 years.

The report, published in March, also suggests that 40% of homes are sub-standard with no final date for an upgrade.

Although the Government has invested £16 million over the last year in improvements to the quarters, it falls well below the £50 million that was needed.

We expect more and more from our servicemen and women, yet seem unwilling to provide the medical, housing and financial support they deserve in this day and age

Eric Ollerenshaw, Conservative Party Candidate

Eric’s call comes after a high profile meeting with the Shadow Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP. The meeting, held at the Priory in Scorton, also gave local Conservative activists the opportunity to speak to Dr Fox and to listen to the MP for Woodspring give a talk about his duties.

Eric said “After talking with Liam, I have become even more convinced that the occupier of Number 10 Downing Street needs to do a lot more to improve accommodation standards for our Army, Navy and Air Force.

“We expect more and more from our servicemen and women, yet seem unwilling to provide the medical, housing and financial support they deserve in this day and age.

“It seems that Gordon Brown is too busy spinning troop withdrawals to tackle this very real bread and butter issue”.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Defence echoed Eric’s words, saying, “It was a real pleasure to be invited up to Scorton by Eric as Lancashire has always been a key area in terms of support and recruitment to our armed services.

“I am in total agreement with Eric when he calls for more to be done to improve the standard of housing for those fighting so bravely in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Never has a Government asked so much of our country’s servicemen and given so little in return – it is an absolute travesty”.

3 Comments | Tags: Afghanistan, defence, housing, Iraq, Liam Fox, troops

1

Alex Law

25/10/07
@ 9:01 pm

I agree with what both Eric and Liam are saying. This is just another example of the government taking with one hand and not giving with the other!

2

David Martins

20/3/08
@ 2:06 pm

I’m sorry but you have completely missed the issue here. We shouldn’t be in either Afghanistan or Iraq anyway. Fine, keep the troops well housed, etc but at the end of the day if you are suggesting using money that could go on public services on yet more military spending then you really aren’t thinking about this logically.

3

Eric Ollerenshaw

26/3/08
@ 6:26 pm

Taking aside whether we should be in Afghanistan or Iraq – the fact is we are.

It is also true that many of our troops are appallingly housed by the Ministry of Defence. All we are saying is that the very least the country can do is provide decent housing for troops and their families. It would also help if they possessed the best equipment for the situations in which they are placed.

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