Recommendation 19

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