There are a number of Service Families living in Surrey Heath, many of whom have been in touch with Michael to raise concerns about the condition of their accommodation. Michael has been working with colleagues at the Ministry of Defence to raise standards and to ensure that these Service Families are receiving all the support they rightly deserve and need.
*LATEST UPDATE* 10 January 2024 – Michael has received a response from the Defence Secretary, and a copy of the letter is attached below. Michael very much welcomes the £400m investment to improve Service Family Accommodation, and he will continue to monitor the situation in Surrey Heath, providing assistance to any local Service Families experiencing problems with their homes.
18 October 2023 - Michael wrote to the Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps MP, to raise the concerns that he had discussed with Service Families in Camberley the previous week. Michael posted the following update on Facebook:
“For some time, I have been supporting a number of Service Families in Camberley who have been receiving totally inadequate support in their Service Family Accommodation. The state of the homes, and the massive complications they are having with contractors and repairs, is well below the standard they deserve.
Last week, I visited some of the families to catch-up on progress, which has unfortunately been limited, and I have since written to the MoD once more to stress that a rapid improvement needs to be seen imminently.”
13 October 2023 – Michael held another meeting with several Service Families from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst who are living in Service Family Accommodation in Camberley. He asked them to update him on any progress, and Michael was very disappointed to hear of the continuing problems that they have been experiencing with contractors and repairs.
11 May 2023 – The new Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge MP, responded to Michael, and a copy is attached below. He reiterated that the Ministry of Defence is working hard to improve current levels of housing support and are robustly holding suppliers to account to ensure the provision of good quality homes that are safe and well maintained.
9 April 2023 – Michael has continued to assist individual Service Families with complaints relating to their accommodation, and he wrote again to Minister Chalk to report on the feedback that he had recently received from the families.
20 January 2023 - Minister Chalk sent a consolidated response to all of Michael’s recent correspondence regarding Service Family Accommodation is his constituency, and a copy is attached below.
13 January 2023 - Michael held a further meeting in Camberley with another group of RMAS service families to discuss their ongoing accommodation issues.
22 December 2022 - Michael met several service families from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) who are living in Service Family Accommodation in Camberley. Michael was very concerned to learn of the repeated problems these families have been experiencing, such as mould, damp, and broken heating, and their difficulties receiving timely repairs. Michael made clear that far too many service families are in housing which is inadequate, and he has been liaising with the Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk MP, who has assured him that he is taking action on this important issue.