North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has continued her ongoing campaign for improvements to military housing in the county, once again raising the state of mouldy housing at Clive Barracks with the Defence Minister in front of the Commons.
The MP has consistently raised the scandalous condition that many servicemen, women and their families are living in across Shropshire. She most recently raised the ‘rat-infested’ conditions at Tern Hill and the large proportion of housing at Shawbury which is now uninhabitable.
Clive Barracks near Market Drayton has also been in the news due to the shipping style containers that many are being asked to live in until the base is decommissioned in 2029.
Helen has also worked closely with military families based at RAF Shawbury to help fix problems with heating, roofs and damp that have developed in recent years.
Helen is campaigning to improve the standard of both the accommodation and the service provided by the Government’s contractors.
Helen Morgan, MP for North Shropshire, asked, “The service family accommodation at Clive Barracks in my constituency is very concerning. I have a family living in a mouldy house with severe health problems. The DIO doesn't want to spend the money on fixing those problems, it wants to move them into a different house for the second time in two years.
“So can I ask the minister what commitment he's got to upgrading and maintaining the housing stock, particularly in sites like Clive Barracks, which are earmarked for closure?”
James Cartlidge MP, Minister for Defence Procurement, replied, “Well, I'm grateful to the honourable lady, she's welcome to write to me about the specific case and I pay tribute to the fact she is very consistent in raising these accommodation issues.
“We had this exchange in Westminster Hall about accommodation, and as I said then, when she raises money, the key to this is investment. We've doubled the budget for maintenance and upgrades this year as part of the extra 400 million we're putting in. That's why we can address so many properties in terms of damp and mould but I'm happy to look at the specifics of that case.”
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan yesterday contributed to a Westminster Hall debate on the state of military accommodation, telling MPs and the Minister for Defence of issues in her constituency.
North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has questioned the Minister for Defence over poor conditions for soldiers living at Clive Barracks, near Tern Hill.
Helen Morgan has issued a call for contractors at RAF Shawbury to give military families the respect they deserve.
Shropshire MP Helen Morgan led a debate in the House of Commons after securing Parliamentary time for the unacceptably poor state of service family accommodation.
Helen Morgan has urged the Government to sort out substandard forces accommodation after a survey revealed military morale to be at rock bottom.
Helen Morgan has met representatives from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), the Pinnacle Group, and Amey PLC – the key providers of repair and maintenance for military housing in Shropshire. This comes after Helen had publicly raised the issue of poor-quality housing and maintenance for military families across the county.
Helen Morgan is calling on the Government to hold the contractors responsible for military accommodation to account after hearing from local families living in cold, damp and mould-ridden homes.
