Tuesday 25 September 2007 00:01
Ministry Of Defence (National)
80 million pounds for new forces' accommodation
Thousands more members of the Armed Forces will benefit from the best quality accommodation, Defence Secretary Des Browne said today as he announced additional funding for Project SLAM (Single Living Accommodation Modernisation).
The MoD has allocated an extra ?80 million, an increase of over 20 per cent, to the ?350M SLAM Phase 2 project to improve single living accommodation. This increases funding on all phases of the SLAM programme to around ?1.4 billion and will allow a further 1,350 new en-suite bedspaces to be built. 50,000 single living bedspaces will now be built or improved over the next six years.
Mr Browne made the announcement as he visited Bovington Armour Centre, near Bournemouth. The camp has already benefited from Project SLAM, with 300 new bedspaces being created since 2005. A further 300 bedspaces are expected to be built by 2009.
Mr Browne said:
"The nation owes our servicemen and women a huge debt of gratitude for the hard work they do on our behalf. A crucial part of this is the welfare package we give our personnel - and central to this is providing good quality accommodation.
"Today, I've seen for myself the high standard we can achieve for single living accommodation and I want this mirrored across the country. I know we have a long way to go with some of our accommodation, but I'm determined to see improvements across the board. This new money offers an excellent opportunity to make a real difference to our servicemen and women and underlines the priority we place on this issue."
Project SLAM provides single en-suite rooms for trained personnel of all ranks. These greatly improved living conditions are expected to have a beneficial impact on recruitment and retention of servicemen and women.
Notes to Editors
1. Project SLAM aims to deliver 15,000 bedspaces in the next six years. So far, the project has delivered 8,957 new bedspaces.
2. The ?80m of new money for accommodation is the result of reinvestment of receipts generated from the disposal of estate assets. Examples of recent disposals include RAF Coltishall, West Rainham and Connaught Barracks in Dover. It will be spent over the next three financial years, beginning with ?20m spent in 2008/09, ?40m spent 2009/10, and the final ?20m spent in 2010/11, focusing on the sites to which the MoD will have a long term commitment. The money will provide a total of around 1,350 extra bedspaces.
3. Defence Estates are currently considering where, geographically, the money should be spent to achieve best effect, and will be working with the Services, and local planning authorities to develop proposals.
4. In 2006/07, the MoD spent some ?700 million on housing and other living accommodation, and it anticipates spending ?870 million in 2007/08 and more than ?5 billion over the next decade.
