To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married armed forces service personnel posted abroad with their families have been allocated single living accommodation on arrival in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) longest period of time is which servicemen or women have had to wait to be housed with their families. (103742)

In Cyprus and the Falkland Island, between 2004-06, we are aware of no occasions whereby service personnel entitled to service families accommodation (SFA) had to occupy single living accommodation (SLA). In Gibraltar, in 2005, 10 entitled service families resided in SLA (for an average of six weeks) while waiting to take up residence in SFA.

For Germany the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reports of boilers and heating systems breaking down in living accommodation for armed forces personnel there were in each of the last three years; and what the (a) average and (b) longest time taken to replace the boiler was in that period. (103745)

Information for the years prior to the Housing Prime Contract going live is not held centrally or in a consistent form. It will take a little time to ascertain if a reply can be given without disproportionate cost. I will therefore write to the hon. Member once this has been established, together with the figures since the implementation of the Housing Prime Contract.