Over £234,000 per month on rent for MoD top brass scandalous
March 13th, 2008 by Defence Team — Press Coverage, Articles, Welfare
The MoD spends almost quarter of a million pounds per month renting private housing for 100 members of MoD top brass and their families, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats show.
Parliamentary answers reveal:
- The 50 most expensive privately rented family homes cost the taxpayer almost £124,000 in total every month, whilst the 50 most expensive single accommodation homes cost an additional £110,000 per month.
- The MoD currently spends £30m per year on 7,000 empty family homes around the UK.
- Private family accommodation for senior officers costs up to £4,200 per family per month.
- Private individual accommodation for senior officers costs up to £3,000 per month.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:
“These figures are scandalous.
“Our brave troops risk life and limb in Afghanistan and Iraq only for them and their families to be rewarded with sub-standard housing. Yet the top brass are living in privately rented homes in the lap of luxury in leafy London suburbs.
“What is even worse is that 7,000 MoD family homes lie empty around the country, costing the taxpayer £30m a year. It is utterly insane administration.
“The contrast between provision for the top brass and the rank-and-file is so nineteenth century it’s like something out of Sharpe’s Company.
“When will this Government recognise and reward bravery and commitment instead of taking it all for granted?”
11 comments ↓
Why not just cut the numbers of top brass? A lot of them don’t do anything.
That’s not actually such an outlandish price for London accomodation, although it is high. Even studio flats in average parts of London cost around £200pw, and a 3-bedroom flat/maisonette which would probably consitute a ‘family home’ costs upwards of £500pw (over £2k per month). Assuming that Top Brass live in similar conditions to senior civil servants they wouldn’t be paying the minimum for a cheap place in a bad area.
I’m afraid the top MoD brass probably get rather healthy salaries and should be able to afford suitable accommodation without extra help. What about our boys and girls fighting in ghastly conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan coming back to absolutely dire conditions back home. We’ve seen all too much of the housing they get here - it’s an absolute disgrace. Please put this money into improving their conditions first.
On what basis, Anax, do you say they ‘don’t do anything’? What can you mean? Do you know anything about it?
Top brass, like most military personnel, get moved around a lot which is why it is often difficult to put down roots. Hence the need for rented accommodation which comes with the job, so to speak.
Of course it is scandalous that the ‘top brass’ should be wasting so much on themselves. But this has to be peanuts compared with the captal cost of renewing Trident - for what purpose?
And why shouldn’t those who are forced to work in the centre of London be entitled to accommodation? Senior officers in the armed forces have no choice where they live; they must go where they are told. Many would much rather stay in a single place with their family, so are maintaining a family home somewhere else in the country. When they are posted to central London they already have a mortgage elsewhere so require single living accommodation (SLA in MoD-speak) in the city. If they choose to move their families so that they can be close to them, then they should have accommodation suitable for a family of their size. I accept they should pay something towards the cost of their rent, but as London is usually considerably more expensive than where they have moved from this should be subsidised; as is the case.
I have to agree with Jack Target.
@Rosemary
The UK has a top-heavy military. For example, the RAF has 340 Group Captains and 40 Air Marshals to command around 400 aircraft (including trainers). And there are Air Commodores and Air Vice-Marshals in between those two ranks.
It’s a fair question whether we couldn’t get better value with fewer commanders and more planes.
Can I introduce a related topic that seems to me to be at least as important as large sums of money being spent on housing senior military personnel & their families? I was recently a member of a working group, set up by the Policy Scrutiny Committee of our local borough council to look into the problem of homelessness. One of the facts that emerged during our investigations was that one of the major groups of young males homeless at any one time are ex-servicemen. It would seem that their problems are often accompanied by various forms of substance abuse including excessive alcohol consumption. Yet you’d have to search long & hard to find this reported in the media. Why is this? The failure to adequately equip our forces in Afghanistan & Iraq is condemned & rightly so but why is no attempt being made to meet their needs when their service is finished. Can we as a party not campaign on this issue? Does this country not have a duty towards those who have served in our Armed forces? Whatever our views on the wisdom of our involvement (or otherwise) in the Middle East, surely ex-service personnel deserve better?
So MPs award themselves expenses for second homes in London but resent the leaders of the armed forces getting their rent paid to work in London temporarily.
First stop MPs getting subsidised mortgages and furnishing costs for their second homes in London - then it might have some credibility.
Having been responsible for the accommodation for a number of senior officers, I know that it is very much an extension of their office and part of their operational responsibility. It is where contacts are made with other non-military and miltary personnel to the benefit of the services as a whole. Much of the accommodation can be pretty poor. Senior officers do not have a choice about their appointments.
I am not qualified to comment on the structure of the armed forces, but it seems that most of these high rents are incurred in London. In these days of the Internet and video conferencing why is it necessary for the armed forces to be in London? Surely the defence of the nation would be better served if military top brass were based outside major targets like the capital city?
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