Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Deferred
F-35 personnel at RAF Marham face unacceptable, low-quality accommodation and insufficient amenities
Recommendation
RAF Marham has been designated the F-35 main operating base since 2013 and now has at least 1,500 people working at the base to support the F-35 fleet, many of whom also live there.38 A 2025 NISTA programme review found that most of the accommodation offered at RAF Marham was the lowest-quality category of Ministry of Defence accommodation. Frontline personnel told the National Audit Office that accommodation was shabby and sometimes lacked hot water and that RAF Marham needed more amenities, such as bus access to a local town, to make it attractive to service personnel.39 This is completely unacceptable in today’s world. Servicemen and women on long tours of duty deserve decent accommodation for their families and themselves.
Government Response Summary
Following the publication of the Defence Investment Plan infrastructure requirements will be reassessed against departmental priorities. The department will write to the Committee by 31 May 2026 to advise whether the current timescale for RAF Marham accommodation can be brought forward.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: May 2026 4.2 Following the publication of the Defence Investment Plan infrastructure requirements will be reassessed against departmental priorities. The department will write to the Committee by 31 May 2026 to advise whether the current timescale for RAF Marham accommodation can be brought forward.