Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
We were concerned as to whether all the poorest quality accommodation meets minimum health and...
Conclusion
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the accommodation used by 3% of personnel (2,388 individuals) was so poor that no rental charge was applied, it was not withdrawn from service.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
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2021 3.2 The department commits to setting and publishing a clear minimum standard for the condition of SLA which goes beyond simple safety and compliance to address issues of basic habitability. The department, through the SLA Expert Group has already developed and socialised many of the core elements of this definition. 3.3 An agreed condition definition will help cohere the single Services to work towards the same standards of condition in the future. It will provide a baseline both to ensure service personnel are not accommodated in poor condition SLA and to inform future investment. The definition will consider the key factors in defining a minimum standard, noting that the defence estate brings with it sometimes significant legacy building challenges associated with the vast spectrum of building types, ages, listings and standards where there will be some challenges regarding sustainability and best practice civilian standards. 3.4 This work will be further refined, in-line with the NAO’s recommendations, prior to publication within Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations Volume 2: Single Living Accommodation and Substitute Service Single Accommodation; Joint Service Publication 464.