Ministers are blasted over the state of Armed Forces homes as it is revealed almost 800 are potentially unsafe due to delayed gas safety checks – as private contractors are given just weeks to sort out ‘unacceptable’ backlog
Ministers are under fire today after revealing that almost 800 Armed Forces families are living in potentially unsafe homes that are overdue gas safety checks.
Some 795 homes lacked a certificate – which shows they have been checked by a qualified engineer and pronounced safe to live in – as of today, Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge told MPs.
In a written statement he said said he had given private contractors responsible for upkeep until the end of June to clear the ‘unacceptable’ backlog.
He said a number of factors were behind the delay including contractors being unable to get into the homes or failing to turn up to appointments, and a shortage of trained engineers to carry out the checks.
Luke Pollard, Labour’s shadow armed forces minister, said: ‘Our Armed Forces personnel deserve homes fit for heroes.
Some 795 homes occupied by service personnel lacked a certificate – which shows they have been checked by a qualified engineer and are safe to live in – as of today
In a written statement to the Commons Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge blamed a number of factors including contractors being unable to get into the homes or failing to turn up to appointments, and a lack of trained engineers to carry out the checks. Luke Pollard, Labour’s shadow Armed Forces minister, said: ‘Our Armed Forces personnel deserve homes fit for heroes.
‘But as we mark Armed Forces Week, it is deeply concerning that Ministers have revealed nearly 800 forces families are currently at risk living in homes without essential gas certificates. Immediate action is needed to make these homes safe.’
In his statement today Mr Cartlidge said that the Ministry of Defence is responsible for some 47,800 military homes in the United Kingdom.
This means that the number lacking gas safety certificates amount to just 1.6 per cent of the total.
However, he added: ‘The expiry of a certificate does not immediately render a house unsafe, but, clearly, the longer a home is left with expired certificates, the greater the risk that it could become so.
‘During checks to date, no issues have been identified that would represent a serious safety concern for the families involved.
‘That said, the safety of our personnel is paramount and it is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.
He confirmed that he had told contractors that all but exceptional cases in occupied homes should be cleared by the end of the month – or ‘preferably sooner’ – with unoccupied homes sorted by mid-July.
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