UK Inquiry Tracker

Armed forces housing and Annington Homes

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry

Opened: 24 Apr 2026 Parliament page

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced a deal with Annington Homes in December 2024, under which it would buy back 36,000+ military homes which government had sold in 1996 and subsequently leased back. The reacquiring of these homes cost £6bn. The MoD has committed to over £1.5bn in new investment … Read more The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced a deal with Annington Homes in December 2024, under which it would buy back 36,000+ military homes which government had sold in 1996 and subsequently leased back. The reacquiring of these homes cost £6bn. The MoD has committed to over £1.5bn in new investment for rapid work to fix the poor state of forces family housing. It claims that the buy-back will improve the lives of Service families, allow for a modernised defence estate, and be a boost for both housebuilding and economic growth as options to sell, redevelop and refurbish the defence estate will be created. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) found in 2018 that the deal to sell most of its Service family accommodation turned out to be disastrous for taxpayers, offering no protection against the private sector making excessive gains at their expense. This proceeded from National Audit Office (NAO) findings the same year that the MoD had lost out on billions of pounds in asset value on the deal and that it had not been properly carrying out its retained management and maintenance responsibilities for the estate. The National Audit Office (NAO) in summer 2026 publishes its report into the MoD’s repurchase of its service family accommodation estate. Following on from the NAO’s report, the PAC will take evidence including from senior MoD officials on subjects including the rationale for the repurchase, and whether it represented good value for money. The Committee will be seeking written evidence submissions in due course. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues . Show less