Hundreds of military homes do not have up-to-date gas safety paperwork

Defence minister James Cartlidge revealed that 795 homes occupied by service families did not have valid gas certificates.

He also said the contractors responsible for the maintenance of armed forces homes had their “performance credit” withheld because of the poor performance.

Owners of rented homes in the UK, including the MoD, are required to undertake landlord gas safety inspections once a year to ensure gas systems are safe for use.

In a written ministerial statement, Mr Cartlidge said: ‘Since April 2022, more than 12,000 families have moved into military houses and been provided with valid statutory and mandatory certificates at the point they move in.

‘However, it has become clear that progress to update gas certificates and electrical inspections for a number of existing residents which had already elapsed was not quick enough.

‘Consequently, as of June 20, there are 795 homes currently occupied by service families without valid gas certificates.”

He said a number of factors had led to this backlog, including contractors being ‘unable to gain access to properties due to miscommunication’ and maintenance workers missing agreed appointments.

The minister added: ‘During checks to date, no issues have been identified that would represent a serious safety concern for the families involved. That said, the safety of our personnel is paramount and it is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.’

It follows reports of sub-standard accommodation at the naval training base, HMS Collingwood in Fareham.

As reported in The News, sailors speaking anonymously revealed the problems that plague the base which brought morale to a new low. Besides reports of maggots and silverfish, they told of long-running problems with broken facilities and overflowing toilets.

FOR MORE READ: Royal Navy responds to HMS Collingwood claims about 'horrendous' accommodation

The base falls under MP Caroline Dinenage’s constituency and she has been lobbying government to act on the situation.

Mr Cartlidge added: ‘This is not the first time issues have been raised about military accommodation. Problems will always arise to some degree when you are dealing with an estate of this size and scale and with residents whose job by its very nature is demanding and time constraining. Nonetheless, we must do better.’