Around £800 million of planned investment in military housing has been pushed back as the Ministry of Defence prioritises other defence spending.

The money had been due to be spent during the current parliamentary period as part of a wider programme to improve tens of thousands of homes used by Armed Forces personnel and their families.

However, senior MoD officials have confirmed that approximately £0.8 billion of investment originally planned for the first phase of the programme will instead be deferred into the later period of the Defence Investment Plan.

The MoD says the funding has not been cancelled.

£9bn housing programme

The Government’s wider Defence Housing Strategy commits around £9 billion over a decade to improving military accommodation.

The plan is intended to see around nine in ten military homes — approximately 40,000 properties — upgraded, renewed or rebuilt.

Around 14,000 homes are expected to require substantial refurbishment or rebuilding, including improvements to kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems.

The programme was launched after years of complaints from service families about problems including damp, mould, leaking roofs and unreliable heating.

MoD says money has been deferred

Jeremy Pocklington, the MoD’s permanent under-secretary, told Parliament that global uncertainty meant defence chiefs had to balance housing investment against other urgent military priorities.

He said approximately £800 million originally due to be spent during the current Parliament had been moved into the second part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Evidence given to Parliament in September also confirmed the £0.8 billion deferral, with officials saying accommodation spending would still rise in real terms over the coming years.

Campaigners criticise delay

Armed Forces campaigners have warned that postponing housing work will leave some military families waiting longer for poor-quality homes to be repaired.

Actor and Armed Forces campaigner Antony Cotton described the condition of some service accommodation as a “national disgrace” and said personnel should not have to worry about mould or other housing problems while serving.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge has accused the Government of diverting money away from Armed Forces families.

The MoD disputes the suggestion that the money has been permanently removed from the programme.

Government says upgrades are continuing

The Ministry of Defence says 1,250 of the worst military homes have already been upgraded and that a further 2,000 were due to receive improvements over the following 12 months.

The Government has also established a new Defence Housing Service as part of reforms intended to improve the management and condition of military accommodation.

The MoD says the overall programme remains a 10-year commitment and that it will spend the deferred £800 million later rather than abandon it.