MPs slam Defence Estates' lodging contracts

Defence Estates' Regional Prime Contracts came under fire in a parliamentary report published last week.

The report, The Work of Defence Estates, by the House of Commons Defence Committee, found "significant problems" with the way the five Regional Prime Contracts are operating. It also described the condition of some of the single living accomodation as "disgraceful".

The report criticised the Prime Contracts as "too complex" and "excessively cumbersome". It added: "There were frequent disputes with the contractors on the distinction between routine maintenance and improvements to the fabric of buildings a broken sash window, for example, might lie unrepaired while Defence Estates and the contractor argued whether the broken window constituted maintenance or was the result of the poor fabric of the building."

The report concluded: "The Regional Prime Contracts are intended to improve the maintenance of single living accommodation, but it is clear that there are significant problems in the way they are operating in practice."

Defence Estates came in for criticism for the management of the upgrade of its single living accommodation. But the report praised the progress Debut Services (Bovis Lend Lease/Babcock International) had made under the £1bn Project SLAM contract in upgrading MoD single living accommodation, although it said some units remain in an "appalling" state.

The MPs were told soldiers on deployment in Afghanistan had more comfortable accommodation than those left behind in Pirbright.

The report also warned that poor accomodation could undermine the MoD's retention of experienced professionals.