Written questions by Riddell-Carpenter.

(a) whether he is aware of reports that some motor insurers refuse cover to individuals on joining the Armed Forces and (b) what steps he is taking to address this.

Under the Armed Forces Covenant, organisations are encouraged to make voluntary pledges to support Service personnel, Veterans and their families. However, insurance provision is a matter for private companies, and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not have the authority to direct or mandate their commercial decisions. The MOD continues to engage with industry and promote best practice through the Covenant framework of voluntary pledges and the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, encouraging businesses to remove barriers and ensure fair treatment for the Armed Forces community. The MOD does not provide financial or legal advice, and neither can we take responsibility for individual financial decisions. Personnel who require such advice are directed by their Unit HR staffs to a list of Services Insurance and Investment Advisory Panel (SIIAP) approved independent financial advisers. However, personnel are, of course, free to use the services of any independent financial adviser.

How many and what proportion of military accommodation units are unoccupied in Suffolk Coastal constituency; and whether his Department plans to bring them back into use.

The Defence Housing Strategy includes an extensive review of our entire Service Family Accommodation (SFA) portfolio to determine how we will utilise our properties. I expect we will be able to provide details of our future intentions when the review is completed. There are 225 SFA properties located in the Suffolk Coastal constituency of which, 60 (27%) are currently unoccupied. 41 of these SFA are ready to be occupied by families and 19 require improvement works before they can be allocated to Service families.

How much his Department plans to spend on military accommodation in Suffolk Coastal constituency in each of the next five financial years.

The Defence Housing Strategy includes an extensive review of our entire Service Family Accommodation (SFA) portfolio to determine how we will utilise our properties. I expect we will be able to provide details of our future intentions when the review is completed. There are 225 SFA properties located in the Suffolk Coastal constituency of which, 60 (27%) are currently unoccupied. 41 of these SFA are ready to be occupied by families and 19 require improvement works before they can be allocated to Service families.

What the annual running costs were for Army sites located in Suffolk Coastal constituency in each of the last five financial years; and how much funding his Department plans to provide for those sites in the next five financial years.

The data requested for the previous five financial years can be found below. These costs relate to MOD Woodbridge (Rock Barracks and Woodbridge Airfield), as the only Army owned site within the hon. Member’s constituency: Year£ millionFY2024-254.416FY2023-244.528FY2022-234.723FY2021-223.799FY2020-213.768 Note: These figures represent the total actual costs for the Hard and Soft Facilities Management of the establishment. Funds are allocated appropriately to deliver strategic objectives. In advance of the conclusions of the Strategic Defence Review , I hope the hon. Member will understand that I cannot anticipate future budgetary allocations.