Parliament's Public Accounts Committee : The Defence Estate, HC 888/5 dated 22 March 2017 :

"The Ministry of Defence's model for managing its estate is still not fit for purpose which jeopardises the success of its plans for the rationalisation of the estate. The Department does not have an appropriate operating model to support its long-term strategy for the estate. It is currently undertaking a review of the model, on which it is due to report by April 2017. The Department has already announced that this will include restructuring its Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to operate more effectively in the new environment. We are dismayed at the continued instability in the Department’s plans for managing its estate which is likely to be bad for staff morale and retention in DIO, an organisation which is already carrying around 500 vacant posts, and which has had three different permanent Chief Executives in two years. Under the new model DIO will act as an expert estate manager and source of advice, but it will struggle to do this successfully unless it can improve its ability to recruit and retain staff with the right skills and capabilities. The Department previously tried to address this issue, and overcome the impact of pay restraint on its ability to recruit and retain experienced staff, by entering a complex contractual arrangement with a Capita-led strategic business partner."

This petition asks you to consider removing Capita-led business links from the DIO and give the decision making, management and control of defence estates, including service families accommodation, back to the military Chain of Command and serving quartermasters, who understand better the unique needs of the Service community.