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Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell launched a withering attack on both Labour and the Conservatives for failing to provide decent housing for our armed forces. New figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that the Ministry of Defence is struggling to make headway with long-promised commitments to improve forces accommodation, particularly family homes.
The MoD has estimated it will cost £750m to upgrade all family housing to the highest standard, and at least £50m a year to make necessary improvements. However, the MoD spent just £16m in 2006-07 upgrading family homes to 'Standard One'.
At such a low rate of investment it would take almost 50 years to upgrade every property. The issue is a serious concern for Britain 's overstretched Armed Forces, struggling to hold on to key personnel. The 2007 Armed Forces Pay Review Report noted that 'acceptable standards of accommodation are essential to retaining personnel'.
Calling much forces' accommodation 'appalling', Menzies Campbell pointed to further Liberal Democrat research which showed:
· Forces families made 400,000 complaints to a call centre about their housing in 2006. This is equivalent to:
o Over two complaints for every member of our armed forces
o An average of nine calls for each property
· The call centre dealing with complaints and repairs for forces families dropped almost 1 in 10 calls as well as keeping hundreds of callers waiting on their phones for a response
· 156 families were housed in cheap hotels while their properties were undergoing emergency repairs
In addition half of all single living accommodation is graded at the worst level by the Army's Standard for Conditions.
Since 1999 the Ministry of Defence has made £2.2 billion on asset sales but the proportion put back into new and refurbished accommodation is minuscule in comparison.
Menzies Campbell called for all forces accommodation to be improved to the highest assessed standard. He argued that money for investment and repairs should be ring-fenced and that the Government should explore the option of setting up a housing association specifically for the armed forces.
Menzies Campbell said:
"Liberal Democrat research has shone a spotlight on the appalling state of forces housing. The pathetic rate of investment in family homes in particular makes a mockery of years of Labour and Tory promises.
"Both the Conservative and Labour governments should be ashamed of their failure to provide decent housing for the brave and dedicated young servicemen and women of our armed forces. It is a national scandal.
"When people are risking their lives for their country in Iraq and Afghanistan the least that they can expect is decent housing. Instead they are provided with shabby accommodation that will take years to fix. It is no wonder that so many key posts in the forces are unfilled.
"Once again the courage and bravery of our troops is being rewarded with incompetence.
"The Government must commit to bringing all army housing up to the highest standard and ensure that money for accommodation repairs is ring-fenced and not plundered for other projects.
"As the armed forces and their families have very specific needs, the option of setting up a housing association specifically for the armed forces should be explored.
"Much more must be done to rectify this national disgrace."

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