Army housing a disgrace says MP

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th Sep 2007

The condition of many houses in which Army families in Colchester have to live is a disgrace.

That is what the town's MP Bob Russell said when speaking at the Liberal Democrat Conference in Brighton.

Mr Russell used an Armed Forces debate at Conference to pursue his Party's national campaign to see a big improvement in the condition of accommodation not only for single soldiers living in barracks but also for the families of soldiers.

Housing improvements are a major policy for the Liberal Democrats, and earlier this year Party Leader Sir Menzies Campbell visited Colchester Garrison and saw for himself some of the accommodation in which Army families live.

Mr Russell also spoke at a Conference fringe meeting organised by The Royal British Legion. He is one of the Legion's Parliamentary Advisors. He said that the new Merville Barracks in Colchester provided first class accommodation for single soldiers, although he was critical of the Government's decision to fund it by means of a Private Finance Initiative.

He pointed out, however, that in many other bases the accommodation for military personnel was a disgrace - as it was in Colchester for Army families.

Mr Russell is a member of the Liberal Democrat Defence team. He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme. In addition to visiting military bases in this country, he has also been to Iraq as a member of the Armed Forces Bill Committee.