Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted
Improve departmental property plans through regular assessment and Ministry of Defence housing estate strategy.
Conclusion
Many departments’ property plans lack the information necessary to manage and maintain their portfolios. Departments are required to prepare Strategic Asset Management Plans (SAMPs) to consider the totality of their assets and document their planned approach to managing maintenance and disposals in the longer term, including documenting any property risks and how they plan to manage and mitigate them. Departments’ SAMPs are currently of varying quality, and different levels of maturity. The Ministry of Defence needs to urgently create a long–term strategic plan to redevelop the service personnel housing estate as part of its SAMP. Departments are also expected to include data from their arm’s–length bodies (ALBs) in individual SAMPs, unless the ALB prepares a separate SAMP. Departments do not have sufficient oversight of some ALBs with large property portfolios and their information does not feed sufficiently into departmental SAMPs. The OGP requires ALBs that have a particular property focus to prepare their own SAMP, for example Homes England and the Government Property Agency. recommendation a. Cabinet Office should perform a regular assessment on the quality of the SAMPs of organisations with major property portfolios and explain what further actions it is taking to improve the quality and coverage of departmental SAMPs. b. The Ministry of Defence should report to the Committee its plan for redeveloping its housing estate and include long–term plans in the departmental SAMP. The plan should also include details on proposed disposals, redevelopment and maintenance.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation, reporting that the Defence Housing Strategy Review (DHSR) is planned for publication later this year. This review will set out a roadmap for renewing Service Family Accommodation, identify surplus land, and inform a comprehensive Strategic Asset Management Plan, directly addressing the Ministry of Defence's housing estate plans.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. review team and chaired by former member of Parliament and housing expert, who met with the Committee Chair on 17 June 2025 to discuss the Defence Housing Strategy. DHSR is planned for publication later in the year and will set out a roadmap to deliver a generational renewal of Service Family Accommodation. It will also identify surplus military land for development, create greater opportunities for Armed Forces home ownership and support the delivery of affordable homes for families across the UK as part of the Government’s Plan for Change. The Defence Housing Strategy will inform follow on work to develop a comprehensive Strategic Asset Management Plan that will include Service Family Accommodation. A new Consumer Charter to improve Service Family Accommodation for Service Personnel and their families was announced on Friday 18 April 2025. The final Charter will form part of the new Defence Housing Strategy.