Huge win for Forces families

Taunton and Wellington’s MP, Gideon Amos, is celebrating the success of a long-standing campaign to improve the quality of Armed Forces accommodation.

The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Housing and Communities, working with colleagues in Parliament, has won a new legal right for military homes to be annually assessed.

The Government initially voted down his proposal in the House of Commons but, after Gideon brought the proposal back and won cross-party support for the idea, Ministers adopted the new ‘Decent Homes Standard’ for service family accommodation.

It is now part of the Renters' Rights Bill which completed its passage through Parliament this week and is soon to become law.

The new law will require the Ministry of Defence to assess service family housing annually and report on whether it meets the Standard - creating a statutory mechanism for identifying and addressing shortcomings.

Gideon said: “This is a huge win for our Forces families.

“Our military personnel sacrifice so much for our country, and all we have asked is that they get a decent home for them and their family.

“But many have suffered for years, living in dire conditions with pest infestations, black mould, damp, flooding, and unreliable heating and hot water supply in winter.

“Personally, I have heard some horrific stories from constituents I have been supporting - service families who were being forced to live in rat-infested accommodation declared unfit for human inhabitation.

“And sadly, the problem has been rife in military housing across the country.

“Research we obtained earlier this year found that, on VE Day alone, more than 400 families were forced to apply for emergency repairs - while the country celebrated our veterans, our housing system was letting them down.

“For far too long, the Ministry of Defence has escaped accountability to meet the Decent Home Standard which has protected social housing tenants and is rightfully being extended to all private renters in the Renters’ Rights Bill.

“As Liberal Democrats we have changed that this week, that's great news, but should never have taken this long.”

Gideon said that former Lib Dem Leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, whose funeral took place on Wednesday, had launched the party’s campaign to improve Forces housing, with independent oversight, back in 2007.

Liberal Democrat MPs also pressed for a Forces housing standard in 2024, but Conservative Ministers refused to act.

“Thankfully, after bringing the proposal back several times and following relentless campaigning by our team in both Houses of Parliament, the Government finally conceded.

“Victories like this show why our voice matters and demonstrates what the Liberal Democrats can achieve when we work hard for local people.

“It’s proof that, if we keep fighting for what we believe in, we can improve people's lives for the better.

“With our kind of determination, I know we’ll have many more wins to come.

“But above all credit is due to our military, and their families – frankly they deserve nothing less than a decent home to come back to.”

The news has been welcomed by local resident and former Royal Marine, Ben Forbes.

He said: “I know from my time in 40 Commando how important a decent home is to our families especially given we are away on exercise or active service for such long periods.

“It’s great to see that Gideon and the LibDem team in Parliament have got the backs of Forces families – decent homes are the least they deserve.”