[Hitback]

My meeting with Nick Harvey MP, went well and the points I covered are below.

1. The JSHAO requires to cover a greater area. This can be done by attaching a team to the CDT group. They visit all military location in a year.

2. The LSAP is not a tax free loan at all, only the first 5k is the rest is paid back with interest.

3. MoD Nomination Scheme is over stretched and is unable to manage with the large numbers requiring housing. All you have to do is look at their waiting lists.

4. The KWS (Key Worker Scheme) is the governments shallow view on this very important issue. There are many service personnel that would love to get onto the Housing Ladder but are unable to get the deposit or afford the repayments. This scheme was also offered to civil servants at five times the number of service personnel permitted, WHY?

There will be some tabled questions on this area very soon, also how many service personnel have used the KWS in relation to civil servants!!!

5. The Homelessness Legislation Amendment of (2002) Vulnerable peoples act is a white wash. The wording is key to its failure or should I say spin. Specific Consideration. This word means to look at but not having to act upon its findings.

6. In a letter dated 9th May 2006. The Government believed only a small amount of service leavers find it hard to get housing. I believe the Government requires to open its eyes and its ears, and listen and look twice as hard as it talks. Only 9% of other ranks and 18% of Officers with in the Army own their own property. In a Continuous Attitude Survey 37% of responding Officers and 48% other ranks were either fairly or very dissatisfied with their prospects for buying or even renting a house.

7. The area of single service leavers hasn't been touched upon by any of the Political Parties. I believe if RSL's allowed group tenancies controlled by Forces Charities this would go a long way in helping single soldiers back into civilian life. I will be putting together a detailed plan of how this would work. If you are interested then please contact me.

Annington Homes Plc was covered in detail and some questions will be asked, I'm sure of that.

1. The profit shared agreement. 1996 - 2004 the Chancellor made 100 million whilst service personnel only got 1% for every full 10 years served!
a. Why is the profit not being used to off set a greater discount for service leavers?
b. Why are service tenants not being given first refusal of properties they once rented?
c Why is the MoD repairing property that is to be handed back to Annington Homes. Whilst service families and single personnel live in run down holes. Annington have stated that they invest on average 15k per property before placing them on the market. So what bloody state are these house's in and why should service personnel have to live in them.

2. What happened to the 1.6bn the properties were sold for?

3. The selling on of military locations has nothing to do with the restructure of the Brigades etc. It all has to do with the Profit Shared Agreement (PSA) and the governments contract to regenerate labour seats around the country. The (PSA) ends in less than 5 years time. After this date the government will receive nothing from Annington Homes Plc. These are my views on why we are getting super garrisons.


Regards

Hitback