I am grateful for that question and the spirit in which the right hon. Gentleman asked it. I recognise his advocacy in helping us to understand that it was the wrong thing in the wrong place, but I know that that is now followed by misinformation—it is not totally different from the contribution of the hon. Member for Perth and Kinross-shire (Pete Wishart)—with people who are planning on creating division over asylum accommodation pointing at another site. To be clear to the right hon. Gentleman and his constituents, we have proposed three new sites and the extension of time at two others. Those decisions have not finally been made, but those named sites are the sites that are under consideration, not his.

I thank the Asylum Minister for his professional courtesy in calling me on Friday to say that the asylum dispersal plans for Stoke Heath in my constituency have now been scrapped. I am grateful for that, and it is a great relief to many residents—it was a completely inappropriate location from the get-go. However, can I ask him to put on the record whether the Government have any plans to put asylum seekers into Clive barracks at Tern Hill in Shropshire, which is currently home to the Royal Irish Regiment?

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently undertaking an extensive review of its entire Service Family Accommodation (SFA) portfolio, to determine how the department will invest to strengthen housing standards for forces families.

The Defence Housing Strategy, to be published later this year, will set out wider plans to improve the standard of Service family homes.

The majority of SFA at Clive Barracks meets or exceeds the Decent Homes Standard and MOD Policy states that SFA below the Decent Homes Standard should not be allocated to families.

In Financial Year 2024-25, 121 SFA at Clive Barracks received replacement doors and windows, and 52 SFA received replacements roofs, including new loft insulation.

Following a recent survey Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Clive Barracks has been identified as requiring no repairs or minor repairs only. No SLA improvement works are programmed.

Clive Barracks has been identified for closure under the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio, as such, work has been limited to routine and planned preventative maintenance.

All troops accommodated at Clive Barracks will be relocated ahead of the closure of the site, in 2029.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently undertaking an extensive review of its entire Service Family Accommodation (SFA) portfolio, to determine how the department will invest to strengthen housing standards for forces families.

The Defence Housing Strategy, to be published later this year, will set out wider plans to improve the standard of Service family homes.

The majority of SFA at Clive Barracks meets or exceeds the Decent Homes Standard and MOD Policy states that SFA below the Decent Homes Standard should not be allocated to families.

In Financial Year 2024-25, 121 SFA at Clive Barracks received replacement doors and windows, and 52 SFA received replacements roofs, including new loft insulation.

Following a recent survey Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Clive Barracks has been identified as requiring no repairs or minor repairs only. No SLA improvement works are programmed.

Clive Barracks has been identified for closure under the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio, as such, work has been limited to routine and planned preventative maintenance.

All troops accommodated at Clive Barracks will be relocated ahead of the closure of the site, in 2029.

The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking an extensive review of its entire Service Family Accommodation portfolio which will include Clive Barracks. The review will also include how the Department will make best use of the properties that have been reacquired from Annington, and which homes and locations can most benefit from investment.

The Defence Housing Strategy, to be published later this year, will set out wider plans to improve the standard of Service family homes. The sites that will be refurbished are being worked through carefully, with the ambition to fairly make improvements across the UK.

Clive Barracks has been identified for closure, as such, work has been largely limited to ongoing works to improve and maintain ablutions.

During Financial Year 2024-25, a project providing new temporary Single Living Accommodation SLA with ensuite bathrooms, comprising of 88 single occupancy bedspaces, with supporting kitchens and utility rooms, was delivered to replace old accommodation that comprised of four-man rooms with shared ablutions, and address a shortfall of bedspaces.

No other SLA improvement works are programmed.

As at 1 January 2024, there were 530 UK Armed Forces Service personnel stationed at Clive Barracks.

Please note the following caveats:

1. The number of UK Armed Forces Service personnel stationed at Clive Barracks can only be provided as at 1 January 2024 in line with Published National Statistics.
2. This figure comprises UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Volunteer Reserve, Serving Regular Reserve, Sponsored Reserve and Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) of unknown origin. University Officer Cadets are excluded. The figure includes both trained and untrained personnel.
3. The figure is based on Service personnel’s stationed location and not their location of residence – where personnel work is not necessarily where they live. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their stationed location are shown against their most recent stationed location.
4. Figures containing Reserve personnel are estimates because the station location data for Reserves has not been fully verified.
5. The figure has been rounded to the nearest 10 to prevent inadvertent disclosure of personal identities. However, numbers ending in “5” have been rounded to the nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.

The information required to answer the hon. Member's questions is held by Ministry of Defence contractors. Defence Infrastructure Organisation officials are working with them to produce a consolidated response which will take some time. I will write to him by early June 2024, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

The information required to answer the hon. Member’s questions is held by Ministry of Defence contractors. DIO officials are working with them to produce a consolidated response which will take some time. I will write to him by early June 2024, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

The following table provides a breakdown of occupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for (a) RAF Shawbury, (b) RAF Cosford and (c) Clive Barracks (Ternhill), with expired Gas Safety Certificates and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR):

Engineers have attended the 10 homes with expired Gas Safety Certificates at least once, with the majority attended more than once, however, the contractor has been unable to gain access or confirm an appointment with all the families. It remains a top priority to gain access to these homes.

Appointments to complete the EICRs for the 156 occupied SFA at these sites have been made and should be carried out by the end of August 2023. A number of factors have led to the EICR backlog accumulating, for example, supply chain resource problems, and legislation has reduced the currency of existing electrical safety certificates from 10 years to five, increasing the frequency of the checks.

The safety of our personnel and their families is our highest priority. It is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.

The following table provides a breakdown of occupied Service Family Accommodation (SFA) for (a) RAF Shawbury, (b) RAF Cosford and (c) Clive Barracks (Ternhill), with expired Gas Safety Certificates and Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR):

Engineers have attended the 10 homes with expired Gas Safety Certificates at least once, with the majority attended more than once, however, the contractor has been unable to gain access or confirm an appointment with all the families. It remains a top priority to gain access to these homes.

Appointments to complete the EICRs for the 156 occupied SFA at these sites have been made and should be carried out by the end of August 2023. A number of factors have led to the EICR backlog accumulating, for example, supply chain resource problems, and legislation has reduced the currency of existing electrical safety certificates from 10 years to five, increasing the frequency of the checks.

The safety of our personnel and their families is our highest priority. It is unacceptable for any family to be living in a home without the necessary checks.

While the information requested is not held in this format, I have asked for work to be done to determine what can reasonably be provided. However, more time is required to collate this.

I will write to the right hon. Member in due course when this work has concluded and place a copy of my response in the Library of the House.

I will write to the right hon and hon. Members and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

This information is publicly available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1087580/House_of_Commons_Report_-_June_2022.ods

In line with the announcement by Secretary of State for Defence on 25 November 2021, I can confirm that, following detailed assessment, the disposal of Clive Barracks will be delayed by four years from 2025 to 2029. Officials will continue to engage with the local authority to release the site for meaningful future use. All sites identified for disposal are maintained to ensure they support military capability and remain safe and legally compliant.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to stop using Nesscliffe Training Area. In fact, this year has seen investment through the construction of three new carbon efficient accommodation blocks on the site.

In line with the announcement by Secretary of State for Defence on 25 November 2021, I can confirm that, following detailed assessment, the disposal of Clive Barracks will be delayed by four years from 2025 to 2029. Officials will continue to engage with the local authority to release the site for meaningful future use. All sites identified for disposal are maintained to ensure they support military capability and remain safe and legally compliant.

The Ministry of Defence has no plans to stop using Nesscliffe Training Area. In fact, this year has seen investment through the construction of three new carbon efficient accommodation blocks on the site.

The information requested can be found in the table below:

Notes

1. Arnhem Garrison is not a site recognised by Ministry of Defence. There was an Arnhem Barracks in Aldershot, however this was vacated in 2008.

2. As a Phase 2 training establishment, Brompton Barracks includes a number of multi occupancy rooms which accommodate soldiers on short term training courses.

3. Clive Barracks has been identified for disposal by 2025 under the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio.

4. Tidworth Garrison includes Aliwal Barracks, Assaye Barracks, Bhurtpore Barracks, Candahar Barracks, Delhi Barracks, Jellalabad Barracks, Lucknow Barracks, Mooltan Barracks and Swinton Barracks.