Mary Glindon MP: Good homes for our soldiers 'the right thing to do'

Sadly, however, many of our service personnel are forced to live in discomfort as properties fall into disrepair.

Of the 200 personnel single living accommodation on bases in Tyne and Wear, 70 live in sub-standard properties.

Nationally, nearly 100,000 live in accommodation blocks on bases and 39,000 in poor conditions. A further 4,400 live in flats that are so bad that they are not expected to pay rent.

Accommodation standards have been getting worse under this government yet nothing’s changed. These conditions wouldn’t be acceptable in civilian life and are certainly not acceptable for actively serving personnel.

So much for homes fit for heroes that forces personnel and their families deserve.

The Armed Forces Covenant – the contract between our society, and service personnel and their families – says that where serving personnel are entitled to publicly provided accommodation, it should be of good quality, affordable and suitably located.

The government must get tough on its private contractors, and deliver homes fit for those serving our country.

At the same time, the government gives an annual tax break of nearly £2 billion to private schools where many pupils have much better accommodation.

Schools in the public domain have to cough up business rates and VAT. I see no reason why private schools don’t. There should be a level playing field.

Some say that £2 billion is small change but boosting the quality of the accommodation for our soldiers need not cost a fortune. It is the right thing to do and long overdue.

Mary Glindon is Labour MP for North Tyneside