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| Cut in funding for defence homes | Cut in funding for defence homes |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Ministry of Defence's housing budget in Scotland has dropped by almost £8m in the last year, according to documents obtained by BBC Scotland. | The Ministry of Defence's housing budget in Scotland has dropped by almost £8m in the last year, according to documents obtained by BBC Scotland. |
| Some families said they have had to endure poor married quarters. | Some families said they have had to endure poor married quarters. |
| Documents which revealed a major fall in spending on housing were obtained under freedom of information rules. | Documents which revealed a major fall in spending on housing were obtained under freedom of information rules. |
| MoD officials insisted that they have continued to invest in housing stock and have received a relatively small number of complaints each year. | MoD officials insisted that they have continued to invest in housing stock and have received a relatively small number of complaints each year. |
| Derelict homes on the Churchill estate have been vandalised | |
| In 2006/7, the MoD spent £20.7m on service families' accommodation compared with more than £28m the year before. | In 2006/7, the MoD spent £20.7m on service families' accommodation compared with more than £28m the year before. |
| Over the same period, there was also a rise in the number of complaints about the housing stock. | Over the same period, there was also a rise in the number of complaints about the housing stock. |
| The Churchill housing estate, near Helensburgh, is one of a number of sites around the country with homes built for MoD staff. | The Churchill housing estate, near Helensburgh, is one of a number of sites around the country with homes built for MoD staff. |
| It contains houses which were constructed for Royal Navy staff serving at the nearby Faslane base. | It contains houses which were constructed for Royal Navy staff serving at the nearby Faslane base. |
| Some Navy wives there said the area's decline was all too apparent in the smashed windows and graffiti on derelict buildings. | Some Navy wives there said the area's decline was all too apparent in the smashed windows and graffiti on derelict buildings. |
| It has got to the stage where I don't even know where to turn to 'Karen', Royal Navy wife | |
| One resident, who wanted to be referred to only as 'Karen', is the wife of a Royal Navy sailor and has lived in married quarters for almost 10 years. | One resident, who wanted to be referred to only as 'Karen', is the wife of a Royal Navy sailor and has lived in married quarters for almost 10 years. |
| She said: "It has got to the stage where I don't even know where to turn to. I have problems with damp and the general lack of maintenance. | She said: "It has got to the stage where I don't even know where to turn to. I have problems with damp and the general lack of maintenance. |
| "I had a pipe burst in my bathroom and I had to wait years for the damage to be fixed. | "I had a pipe burst in my bathroom and I had to wait years for the damage to be fixed. |
| "It's upsetting for my husband to be off at sea for months at a time with all this on the back of his mind. | "It's upsetting for my husband to be off at sea for months at a time with all this on the back of his mind. |
| "It used to be that standards were extremely high but now it is as if no-one cares anymore. It's all about money and they seem intent on letting this place fall to wrack and ruin." | "It used to be that standards were extremely high but now it is as if no-one cares anymore. It's all about money and they seem intent on letting this place fall to wrack and ruin." |
| 'Extremely high' | |
| Another woman, referred to as 'Louise', comes from a Royal Navy family and has lived in MoD housing across the UK for most of her life. | Another woman, referred to as 'Louise', comes from a Royal Navy family and has lived in MoD housing across the UK for most of her life. |
| However, she was shocked to see the conditions of MoD homes in Scotland. | However, she was shocked to see the conditions of MoD homes in Scotland. |
| She said that the general decline of the area's housing had led to more anti-social behaviour. | She said that the general decline of the area's housing had led to more anti-social behaviour. |
| She said: "I have stayed in married quarters in Portsmouth and Plymouth and this is the worst place by a long way. | She said: "I have stayed in married quarters in Portsmouth and Plymouth and this is the worst place by a long way. |
| "It seems that no matter how long you complain, it never gets noticed." | "It seems that no matter how long you complain, it never gets noticed." |
| The Churchill estate caters for staff who work at the Faslane base | |
| The MoD said it managed nearly 4,000 homes across Scotland with 1,600 changes of occupancy each year. | The MoD said it managed nearly 4,000 homes across Scotland with 1,600 changes of occupancy each year. |
| Despite the high volume of work undertaken, officials said customer surveys consistently demonstrated that more than 95% of occupants were fully satisfied with the housing service they received. | Despite the high volume of work undertaken, officials said customer surveys consistently demonstrated that more than 95% of occupants were fully satisfied with the housing service they received. |
| An MoD spokeswoman said that recent accommodation improvements at Faslane and Glencorse barracks had created some of the best military housing in the UK. | An MoD spokeswoman said that recent accommodation improvements at Faslane and Glencorse barracks had created some of the best military housing in the UK. |
| She said that if the Glencorse project was excluded from the figures, actual expenditure on housing in Scotland had increased over the past five years. | She said that if the Glencorse project was excluded from the figures, actual expenditure on housing in Scotland had increased over the past five years. |
| The spokeswoman added: "Some housing that is now surplus to requirements is being sold and that money will be ploughed back into defence estates. | The spokeswoman added: "Some housing that is now surplus to requirements is being sold and that money will be ploughed back into defence estates. |
| "All complaints are taken seriously and are being addressed. Complaints are very few when you consider we have thousands of service men and women working in Scotland." | "All complaints are taken seriously and are being addressed. Complaints are very few when you consider we have thousands of service men and women working in Scotland." |