Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan demanding Homes fit for Heroes after Labour discovers shocking statistics

'The Government is failing in its duties to our forces' says Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan

One in three service personnel in Hampshire are living in the lowest grade of service accommodation.

With 32.6% of personnel affected, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan is demanding Homes fit for Heroes.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) data uncovered by the Labour party shows that 4,960 of personnel in Portsmouth and across the county live in Grade 4 Single Living Accommodation, the lowest rating given by the MoD.

Across the country, almost 39,000 members of the armed forces live in Grade 4 accommodation. A further 4,360 personnel live in accommodation so poor that no rental charge is levied.

Just 21% live in the top ‘Grade 1’ accommodation, the lowest proportion since 2018.

The MoD awards grades to its Single Living Accommodation based on ‘deficiency points’ allocated across 14 categories. Points are apportioned for the condition of bedroom decoration, fixtures and fittings, adequacy of heating systems and the proximity of toilet and washing facilities, among other factors.

There is currently no minimum quality standard set for Single Living Accommodation and no minimum acceptable conditions that service personnel should expect.

A 2021 National Audit Office report on Single Living Accommodation exposed ‘decades of underinvestment’ and ‘problems with heating and hot water.’

Commenting on the shocking figures, Mr Morgan said: ‘The Government is failing in its duties to our forces, who continue to live in shameful conditions while serving our country.

‘Our armed forces personnel and their families in Portsmouth and across the country deserve better than having to put up with broken boilers, water pouring into homes, mould, vermin and endless waits for basic repairs.

‘Ministers have been told about problems with poor accommodation for years, but they have taken no action. Only a Labour government can fix 13 years of broken defence housing policy, delivering homes fit for our armed forces heroes.’

Labour has commissioned an independent review of defence accommodation, chaired by crossbench peer and former Head of the Civil Service, Lord Bob Kerslake.

The commission will bring together experts from fields including health, housing and the armed forces.

Earlier this year, The News reported how Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage had invited Ministers to view the poor standard of accommodation at both HMS Collingwood, which houses more than 2,500 navy personnel, and HMS Sultan.