Recommendations & Conclusions
15 items
5
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
Management of Single Living Accommodation has long suffered from a lack of coordination, ownership and strategic grip. Currently no single person has responsibility for Single Living Accommodation, and there are many different stakeholders involved, with some groups having been set up in response to the lack of governance and ownership …
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Management of Single Living Accommodation has long suffered from a lack of coordination, ownership and strategic grip. Currently no single person has responsibility for Single Living Accommodation, and there are many different stakeholders involved, with some groups having been set up in response to the lack of governance and ownership of Single Living Accommodation. Overall responsibility is now delegated, with all Commands having their own plans to tackle different priorities, but there is a lack of a central view. The Department is developing the Defence Accommodation Strategy to coordinate the overall approach to all accommodation needs which will also include the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio (to reduce the estate) and the Future Accommodation Model (to provide housing options). There is much experience in different public and private housing sectors which could be drawn on to help better manage Single Living Accommodation. Recommendation: The Department should review and simplify the governance structures for Single Living Accommodation, including clarifying overall responsibility, and ensuring that those making decisions have the necessary capability and capacity.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and commits to reviewing and enhancing the governance structure for Single Living Accommodation, incorporating the newly appointed senior sponsor and bringing together policy, delivery, and funding by the end of summer 2021.
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HM Treasury
1
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Ministry of Defence (the Department) about Single Living Accommodation for service personnel.1
Government response AI summary
The government agrees to the recommendation and commits to writing to the Committee by December 2021. This letter will outline the changes being introduced under the Defence Accommodation Strategy to raise the priority of Single Living Accommodation and detail the implementation of National Audit Office …
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HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
The standard of Single Living Accommodation is very variable, and the Department agreed that it is not acceptable that more than one-third of personnel in Single Living Accommodation are living in the lowest-grade accommodation (Grade 4 or below).17 We asked why the number of service personnel living in poorly rated …
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The standard of Single Living Accommodation is very variable, and the Department agreed that it is not acceptable that more than one-third of personnel in Single Living Accommodation are living in the lowest-grade accommodation (Grade 4 or below).17 We asked why the number of service personnel living in poorly rated accommodation had been growing. The Department acknowledged that expectations had been changing and that what constituted poor quality had moved on.18 It also explained that the grading system used includes a number of factors, not just the condition of accommodation. As a 7 Qq 30–31 8 Qq 66, 95 9 C&AG’s Report, para 3.2 10 Q 14 11 C&AG’s Report, para 4.6 12 Q 6 13 Public Accounts Committee, Defence Equipment Plan 2020–2030, Fiftieth Report of Session 2019–21, HC 693, 16 March 2021 14 Q 15 15 Q 20 16 Q 29 17 Qq 1, 14, 28; C&AG’s Report, para 11 18 Qq 15; C&AG’s Report, paras 11, 3.4 Improving single living accommodation for service personnel 11 result, it is possible to have a very high standard room in a poor location, such as close to a runway, that has a low grade for charging purposes. This is because the charge reflects that whole experience.19
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed with the Committee's conclusion, committing to setting a minimum standard for Single Living Accommodation (SLA) by December 2021. All SLA will be assessed against this standard, with necessary improvements incorporated into works programmes from financial year 2023-24.
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HM Treasury
8
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
We were concerned as to whether all the poorest quality accommodation meets minimum health and safety standards and asked why, if the accommodation used by 3% of personnel (2,388 individuals) was so poor that no rental charge was applied, it was not withdrawn from service. The Department told us that …
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We were concerned as to whether all the poorest quality accommodation meets minimum health and safety standards and asked why, if the accommodation used by 3% of personnel (2,388 individuals) was so poor that no rental charge was applied, it was not withdrawn from service. The Department told us that it depended on the reason why the accommodation had been downgraded to that level, but stated that if a building did not meet health and safety standards, personnel would be moved out.20 More than 50,000 Single Living Accommodation bed spaces constructed prior to 2000 would not meet the current building standards if built today. The Department explained that this related to features such as the capacity of the power systems. It said that where standards are applied retrospectively, it brings its buildings up to this level, but the majority of standards are introduced at a point in time and thereafter buildings are built to the new standard.21 The Department said it was confident that its buildings meet fire safety regulations, with formal fire risk assessments on every Single Living Accommodation building performed at least every two years.22
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to setting and publishing a clear minimum standard for the condition of Single Living Accommodation by December 2021, going beyond safety to address basic habitability.
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HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
While the Department told us that it is tremendously important that personnel feel valued for what they are doing, we pointed out that some are living with problems with basic facilities including heating and hot water. The Department agreed that people should have access to these facilities and explained that …
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While the Department told us that it is tremendously important that personnel feel valued for what they are doing, we pointed out that some are living with problems with basic facilities including heating and hot water. The Department agreed that people should have access to these facilities and explained that it had tried to tackle problems using ‘stubs and sockets’ to make heating and hot water quickly available where there had been a failure in the system. In the Royal Air Force this method meant that this year, some 900 people, who would otherwise have been adversely affected by disruptions, had had the problem fixed within 24 hours of it arising.23 However, given the age of many of these systems, the Department said that fixing a problem can take weeks and unreliable heating is probably present in around 50% of Single Living Accommodation. We questioned the reliance on quick fixes and the Department told us it aims to balance this approach with major rebuild and refurbishments.24
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to setting and publishing a clear minimum standard for the condition of Single Living Accommodation by December 2021, addressing issues of basic habitability and moving beyond simple safety and compliance.
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HM Treasury
11
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
Over the past six years (from 2015 to 2020) there has been a decrease in satisfaction with both the response to requests for maintenance and repairs work for Single Living Accommodation, and the quality of that work.31 Nevertheless, the Department believes the performance of contractors is actually getting much better, …
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Over the past six years (from 2015 to 2020) there has been a decrease in satisfaction with both the response to requests for maintenance and repairs work for Single Living Accommodation, and the quality of that work.31 Nevertheless, the Department believes the performance of contractors is actually getting much better, with improvements in the response time Key Performance Indicators.32 We advised the Department that given this contradiction it was important to listen to consumers and service users.33 The Department informed us that current contracts are scheduled to run until 2021–22 and it is working to introduce replacements – Future Defence Infrastructure Services (FDIS) – for maintenance services. It told us these contracts would be split across a number of suppliers and draw on a wider supply chain, and there would be a greater emphasis on performance linked payments.34 The new contracts aim to deliver a preventative maintenance regime with faster response times for issues.35 Minimum standard
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Government response AI summary
The government accepted the recommendation, committing to gathering Service personnel views on Single Living Accommodation (SLA) by December 2021. The SLA Expert Group is currently assessing the best methods, including surveys, to ensure these views inform estate management improvements.
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HM Treasury
12
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
We questioned why in contrast to properties rented from other providers such as local authorities, housing associations or private landlords, where there is a legally required standard for the accommodation, there is no specified standard for Single Living Accommodation. This is also in contrast to Service Family Accommodation where the …
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We questioned why in contrast to properties rented from other providers such as local authorities, housing associations or private landlords, where there is a legally required standard for the accommodation, there is no specified standard for Single Living Accommodation. This is also in contrast to Service Family Accommodation where the Department has committed to meet the government’s ‘Decent Homes Standard’.36 The Department told us it will define a minimum standard for the condition of the accommodation this year. We noted that without a baseline for what was an acceptable condition, the Department would not be able to set a budget for repairs or refurbishments.37 In addition, having a minimum standard would help in making the case for prioritisation of funding to maintain the estate.38
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed with the committee's recommendations, committing to define a minimum standard for Single Living Accommodation within the Defence Accommodation Strategy by December 2021 to eradicate the poorest quality accommodation. It also committed to gathering service personnel views, with the SLA Expert Group assessing …
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HM Treasury
13
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
The Department acknowledged that expectations of service personnel are changing, and that what they needed at different points of their career varied.39 We are aware, for example, that there are concerns about poor or expensive wi-fi, and a lack of cooking facilities.40 We were interested to understand what the Department …
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The Department acknowledged that expectations of service personnel are changing, and that what they needed at different points of their career varied.39 We are aware, for example, that there are concerns about poor or expensive wi-fi, and a lack of cooking facilities.40 We were interested to understand what the Department was doing about the complaints by some personnel about the food on offer and the lack of self-catering facilities. 28 Qq 31–32 29 Q 35 30 Q 38 31 C&AG’s Report, para 3.9 32 Q 22 33 Q 23 34 Qq 22–24 35 C&AG’s Report, para 4.6 36 Qq 53, 69; C&AG’s Report, para 3.5 37 Qq 53, 69–71, 101 38 C&AG’s Report, para 3.5 39 Qq 14–15 40 C&AG’s Report, para 13 Improving single living accommodation for service personnel 13 The Department told us that it recognises that the ability to self-cater was a common requirement but, in many cases, accommodation was not built with such facilities. It is working towards offering this choice and provided an example of the Army, which is investing £77 million over the next 10 years in this area. However, it said the Army will be unable to upgrade around 25% of buildings because of fire or other safety regulations.41
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed with the recommendation to gather service personnel views on Single Living Accommodation (SLA), committing to set clear expectations within the Defence Accommodation Strategy (DAS) by December 2021, with the SLA Expert Group assessing specific methods, including surveys.
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
We raised concerns that, given sustainability targets, in two or three years the Department will have to retrofit much relatively new accommodation. It told us that it is running a number of low-carbon trials across Single Living Accommodation properties and considers that a 5% to 7% uplift can deliver a …
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We raised concerns that, given sustainability targets, in two or three years the Department will have to retrofit much relatively new accommodation. It told us that it is running a number of low-carbon trials across Single Living Accommodation properties and considers that a 5% to 7% uplift can deliver a much higher standard of energy efficiency performance for new build accommodation. It said it is in the process of implementing this through its building standards. It also told us it is putting in place about 2,000 bed spaces on the training estate that are in modular build, 50-personnel blocks, which are effectively carbon positive, generating a surplus of green energy.42 41 Q 19; C&AG’s Report, para 4.10 42 Q 45 14 Improving single living accommodation for service personnel 2 Oversight and funding Management Information
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to setting and publishing a clear minimum standard for the condition of Single Living Accommodation by December 2021, and states that the Defence Accommodation Strategy will consider wider initiatives like Net Zero Carbon.
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HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
There is no single source of data on Single Living Accommodation, and the Department lacks central data on its location, condition and usage.43 The Department said it recognises that its ability to track who is using what accommodation is poor at the moment, with it only having data from a …
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There is no single source of data on Single Living Accommodation, and the Department lacks central data on its location, condition and usage.43 The Department said it recognises that its ability to track who is using what accommodation is poor at the moment, with it only having data from a snapshot survey.44 It told us that it is developing an Single Living Accommodation Management Information System (SLAMIS) to enable people to book accommodation, and to enable it to understand how accommodation is being used, which will also inform investment decisions. We asked the Department what it had learnt from similar commercial booking systems, for example, those used by hotels, but it said it is trying to develop a simple system and would not necessarily need all the functionality that such organisations would use.45
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed with the Committee's conclusion and committed to reporting in October 2021 on the progress of the Single Living Accommodation Management Information System (SLAMIS), including its full operating capability target for 2022.
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HM Treasury
16
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
Given the Department stated it is looking for a simple solution, we questioned why, after eight years of development, SLAMIS was not yet in service. The Department acknowledged the poor performance and that the SLAMIS project that commenced in 2013 failed to deliver, was cancelled and then was restarted in …
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Given the Department stated it is looking for a simple solution, we questioned why, after eight years of development, SLAMIS was not yet in service. The Department acknowledged the poor performance and that the SLAMIS project that commenced in 2013 failed to deliver, was cancelled and then was restarted in 2019.46 When pushed to explain why the project had failed, the Department said one of the issues was that it had tried to make the solution too complicated in the first instance, and that it probably did not have the right calibre of people working on the programme.47 The Committee has seen long delays in other IT systems being developed by the Department, such as that with Capita on army recruitment.48 The Department confirmed that it will bring SLAMIS into service by 2022. It told us it has run a pilot programme, which is now live; that it expects the system development to be completed by the end of this calendar year: and it will start the roll-out through the course of 2022.49
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees to the recommendation and commits to reporting back to the committee in October 2021 on the progress of the SLAMIS system, including confirming when it will be fully operational in 2022.
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HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
Data from the last snapshot on 26 February 2020, showed a quarter of Single Living Accommodation is unoccupied, and one-fifth of sites had more than 40% of Single Living Accommodation bed space unused.50 The Department agreed that a substantial amount is unoccupied and that is has more Single Living Accommodation …
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Data from the last snapshot on 26 February 2020, showed a quarter of Single Living Accommodation is unoccupied, and one-fifth of sites had more than 40% of Single Living Accommodation bed space unused.50 The Department agreed that a substantial amount is unoccupied and that is has more Single Living Accommodation than it needs across the estate. This meant that it is in the difficult situation of having to decide whether to spend its limited funds demolishing infrastructure that it does not need or on improving the infrastructure that is in use. We asked what an appropriate level of under-occupancy would be, and the Department responded that it would be location- specific and could not set a single percentage across the whole estate.51 At the same time as having unoccupied accommodation, the Department spent £32.4 million in 2019–20 on Substitute Service Single Accommodation (SSSA).52 It told us that the money spent on substitute accommodation is almost entirely in locations where it has a deficit of Single 43 C&AG’s Report, para 2.12 44 Qq 41, 75 45 Qq 59, 60 46 Qq 61, 65, 67; C&AG’s Report, para 2.4, Figure 7 47 Qq 61, 63–64 48 Committee of Public Accounts Report, Capita’s contracts with the Ministry of Defence, Eightieth Report of Session 2017–19, HC 1736, March 2019, para 11 49 Q 62 50 Q 89; C&AG’s Report, paras 10, 2.13 51 Qq 89, 92 52 C&AG’s Report, para 2.11 Improving single living accommodation for service personnel 15 Living Accommodation, with approximately 60% of that in London and Bristol, two areas where it would be very costly to invest in the necessary level of capacity to be able to provide all the Single Living Accommodation that it needs.53 Oversight and coordination
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Government response AI summary
The government plans to publish the Defence Accommodation Strategy (DAS) by the end of 2021, detailing changes for Single Living Accommodation (SLA), and has committed £1.5 billion for SLA investment over the next decade. It is also implementing NAO recommendations, including appointing a senior sponsor …
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HM Treasury
19
Recommendation
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
Since the delegation of infrastructure budgets in 2018, each Command has developed its own plans tailored to its specific needs and priority areas, and it has set individual targets to reduce poor-quality Single Living Accommodation.57 We questioned the lack of a central view on what is needed for Single Living …
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Since the delegation of infrastructure budgets in 2018, each Command has developed its own plans tailored to its specific needs and priority areas, and it has set individual targets to reduce poor-quality Single Living Accommodation.57 We questioned the lack of a central view on what is needed for Single Living Accommodation, which could make it hard to ensure coherence across plans.58 There is also much variety in the accommodation offered and personnel may not pay for their accommodation depending on the service to which they belong and their personal status. The Department has 24 separate waiver charges across five personal status categories including on marital status and age. The Department told us this reflects the slightly different nature of each service, and the different ways in which policies have evolved between the services. It told us that these policies are under continuous review and, as part of the Defence Accommodation Strategy work, it will need to look at them again.59
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Government response AI summary
The government agreed with the recommendation to review and simplify governance structures for Single Living Accommodation (SLA), confirming the Chief of Defence People as the senior sponsor and committing to enhance the governance structure by end of summer 2021 (target September 2021).
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HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
Improvements to Single Living Accommodation cannot be carried out in isolation because they overlap with wider departmental programmes such as the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio (to create an estate of a more appropriate size and better quality) and the Future Accommodation Model (FAM) (to provide personnel with a range …
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Improvements to Single Living Accommodation cannot be carried out in isolation because they overlap with wider departmental programmes such as the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio (to create an estate of a more appropriate size and better quality) and the Future Accommodation Model (FAM) (to provide personnel with a range of housing options). Interdependencies have been identified but the initiatives run to different timetables and are not always joined up.60 The Department informed us that the Defence Accommodation Strategy it is producing will draw together policy, infrastructure and delivery elements, and coordinate the dependencies between the infrastructure plans for Single Living Accommodation, the DEO Portfolio and current investments. It confirmed that the strategy will be written by the end of 2021 and will be published.61 53 Qq 33, 88–89 54 C&AG’s Report, paras 8, 2.3, 2.2 55 Q 76, C&AG’s Report, paras 8, 2.4–2.6 56 Q 76 57 C&AG’s Report, paras 15, 4.2–4.3 58 Q 68; C&AG’s Report, para 15 59 Qq 42–43; C&AG’s Report, para 3.12 60 C&AG’s Report, paras 17, 4.12, 4.13 61 Qq 85–87 16 Improving single living accommodation for service personnel Future funding
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Government response AI summary
The government confirms the Defence Accommodation Strategy (DAS) will be published by the end of 2021, outlining how it will integrate policy and infrastructure plans for Single Living Accommodation (SLA). The department will also write to the committee by December 2021 detailing specific changes and …
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HM Treasury
21
Conclusion
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single …
Accepted
The Department explained that under the delegated responsibilities for infrastructure, including Single Living Accommodation, the Commands will decide how much to spend in this area, alongside other areas within their remit. In the 2020 Annual Budget Cycle, the Commands set out plans to spend £1.5 billion on upgrading and replacing …
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The Department explained that under the delegated responsibilities for infrastructure, including Single Living Accommodation, the Commands will decide how much to spend in this area, alongside other areas within their remit. In the 2020 Annual Budget Cycle, the Commands set out plans to spend £1.5 billion on upgrading and replacing Single Living Accommodation across the estate over the period 2020–2030.62 The Department said that there is also additional funding from the DEO Portfolio and the Army Basing Plan.63 We asked the Department if its planned expenditure was adequate and it responded that it would allow it to upgrade the poorest accommodation as required. The majority of the expenditure will fall in the later years of the plans, and the Department informed us that it takes a number of years from identifying the need to putting an infrastructure solution in place.64 We therefore questioned how long it would be before the Department has a plan for the whole Single Living Accommodation portfolio including what needs to be sold, demolished or repaired. The Department said it was in the process of preparing the Defence Accommodation Strategy which would include policy, infrastructure and delivery elements, and the various dependencies.65
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it already plans to invest £1.5 billion into Single Living Accommodation (SLA) over the next decade, with the Defence Accommodation Strategy (DAS) providing long-term strategic direction. It reiterated that SLA management and funding remain delegated to single Services, who have already prioritised …
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HM Treasury