Alex Sobel has blasted CarillionAmey and the Government on substandard conditions in service family’s housing.
The MP for Leeds North West has been campaigning for more secure Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for some time, criticising the sell off to Annington Homes which has caused many service homes to be lost. It has also caused a potential cliff edge scenario in two years’ time, when the contract expires, with many fearing huge rent hikes.
The MP has now turned his fire on the conditions of the housing and the service provided by CarillionAmey. There is great dissatisfaction amongst service families about the quality of their housing. A Facebook group called ‘Victims of CarrillionAmey’ boasts 3700 members.
Speaking in the chamber on Armed Forces Day Mr Sobel said “CarillionAmey has had more than 36,000 complaints in three years about the conditions of service family accommodation—that is 1,000 complaints every month. There is outrage among service families about the contract with CarillionAmey. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is time the Government stepped up and intervened so that we have decent maintenance for our armed forces personnel?”
Responding, fellow MP Nia Griffith (Lab Llaneli) said, “My hon. Friend makes a good point. None of us wants to see any of our serving forces and their families living in substandard accommodation. There are certainly issues to be addressed in respect of Amey and forces housing.”