Local MP Caroline Dinenage yesterday praised the support received by Armed Forces personnel in Gosport during questions to the Department for Communities and Local Government.
A keen supporter of the Armed Forces, Caroline also called on the Government to ensure that members of the Forces are treated fairly in the wait for social housing.
She asked:
"My Gosport constituency has a very proud history of serving the Armed Forces and were an early adopter of the Armed Forces covenant. While I really warmly welcome the Government's efforts to encourage local authorities to prioritise local people when allocating social houses, I wonder what he is doing to encourage other local councils to make sure that Forces families are not disadvantaged in this measure."
Responding on behalf of the Government, Kris Hopkins MP, the Minister responsible said:
"As a former Squaddy myself, I think this Government can be very proud of what we've done. Whether it's about the Help to Buy Scheme, whether it's about the covenant and certainly about making sure that members of our Armed Forces who have been away from home still have a high priority on our waiting list and that issue has gone out there to local councils and they need to adhere to that support the members who live in your constituency and many others."
Speaking outside the Chamber, Caroline commented:
"As an area which has a strong connection to the military, we know only too well the sacrifices made by our Forces members. That is why it is so important for us to ensure that personnel and their families are not left behind in the wait for social housing."
