← Back to House of Commons Debates
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in Education Settings
04 September 2023
Lead MP
Gillian Keegan
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Education
Other Contributors: 65
At a Glance
Gillian Keegan raised concerns about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in education settings in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister announced steps to address the risk of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools and colleges, prioritising children's safety. She mentioned that out of over 22,000 educational institutions, only 52 require immediate action due to RAAC risks, with mitigations already in place for some. The Department will survey suspected cases within weeks, publish a list of affected schools this week, and provide updates on the impact on pupils. Temporary classroom spaces are being arranged, funded by the Government, alongside longer-term refurbishment or rebuilding projects as necessary. The Minister expressed gratitude towards professionals responding swiftly to ensure safety measures.
Question
The MP's question or point. Include their concern, local impact, or criticism. 2-4 sentences.
Minister reply
The minister's response to THIS specific MP. Include commitments, rebuttals, details. 2-4 sentences.
Houghton and Sunderland South
Question
Asked why the Secretary of State is still refusing to publish the list of affected schools, what strategy there is for dealing with system build schools beyond RAAC inspections, how long students will face disruption during repair works, which capital budgets are being raided, and whether an assessment has been made on the risks of RAAC in the context of asbestos.
Minister reply
The Secretary of State acknowledged that information would be published this week. She stated that surveys have already begun and about 95% of schools have responded to them. She assured that emergency services will receive necessary information, and that decisions were based on new evidence.
Maria Miller
Con
Basingstoke
Question
Asked how quickly suspicions of RAAC in her constituency's schools would be confirmed or negated.
Minister reply
The Secretary of State replied that suspected cases will be surveyed within the next two weeks. About 67% of those surveyed do not have RAAC, and full confirmation is necessary.
Carol Monaghan
SNP
Glasgow North West
Question
Asked for clarity on additional funding from the Treasury, whether there will be extra funds for devolved administrations, and requested a more realistic figure for schools needing work.
Minister reply
The Secretary of State stated that existing capital budgets would cover necessary repairs but she is open to discussions with Treasury. She confirmed ongoing information sharing with counterparts in Scotland.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
Question
The Secretary of State will know that St Andrew’s Junior School in Hatfield Peverel is now closed, and other schools in my constituency are experiencing partial closures. I hope she will join me in thanking Essex County Council for the extraordinary leadership it has shown. Will there be support for revenue impacts such as travel, switching to remote learning, and children with special educational needs? Also, what role does Ofsted play?
Minister reply
Thanked Essex County Council for its proactive approach. On revenue impact: case-by-case basis support will be provided if schools present their specific needs. Caseworkers are currently focused on helping schools directly but a helpline is available for MPs to use. There is no confirmation of Ofsted's involvement in assessing the disruption caused.
Question
When the Prime Minister, as Chancellor, slashed the schools repair budget despite warnings, how big a factor was the fact that neither he nor most of his Cabinet use state schools for their own children?
Minister reply
Rejected the claim, stating that the scale of school rebuilding programme is consistent with previous announcements and commitments since 2015.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
Thanked Baroness Barran for her immediate outreach when a problem arose in one local school this March. Highlighted the proactive nature of the Department’s response.
Minister reply
Acknowledged Baroness Barran's efforts and noted that she had been working on RAAC issues since before Gillian Keegan took office.
Diana R. Johnson
Lab
Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
Question
Asked how the Government’s failure to maintain schools will affect schools desperately in need of rebuilding, such as Hall Road Academy. Joked about a swear box fundraiser.
Minister reply
Acknowledged the joke but emphasised continued investment in school estates with £15 billion allocated since 2015 and £1.8 billion committed for 2023-24, prioritising safety issues.
Question
Asked about individual schools' access to money and temporary accommodation; also inquired about urgent statements from local education authorities on their role in school commissioning and maintenance.
Minister reply
Each school can work with a caseworker, gain access to temporary accommodation and propping services as needed. Urged non-responsive local authorities to respond quickly.
Christine Jardine
Lib Dem
Edinburgh West
Question
Urged the Secretary of State to impress upon the Prime Minister that this is a national problem requiring cross-departmental coordination. Asked about Scottish Government’s response and urgency.
Minister reply
Emphasised the need for direct action, noting that the typical responsible body approach had not been quick enough previously. Suggested sharing new evidence with devolved Administrations.
Question
Noted schools in her constituency have reopened safely and thanked Springfield primary school’s team for their swift actions. Highlighted the importance of mindful language around children.
Minister reply
Agreed that safety is paramount but acknowledged minimizing disruption to children is also important. Encouraged calm collaboration with affected schools.
Barnsley South
Question
Asked if the Department has compared schools impacted by RAAC to those affected by the Building Schools for the Future funding cuts.
Minister reply
Acknowledged limited overlap between RAAC-affected and BSF-cut schools, noting that BSF did not focus on condition but rather built unconventional structures. Cited criticisms from the James review.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Question
The MP thanks the Secretary of State for her statement, asking about caseworkers handling schools with RAAC issues and if capital funding will be made available to rebuild Mistley Norman School.
Minister reply
There are around 50 caseworkers dealing with two schools each. The Chancellor has committed to providing necessary funds including mitigations, revenue funding if required, and rebuilding programme. Capital funding for the school closure in July will depend on future evaluations.
Rushanara Ali
Lab
Bethnal Green and Stepney
Question
The Member questions the Government's response to RAAC issues following Grenfell, stating that warnings were ignored and asking for assurances about safety and resources.
Minister reply
The Labour party was warned in 1999, 2002, and 2007 but took no action. The current government issued guidance on identifying RAAC and instructed responsible bodies to use structural engineers to identify it.
Stephen Metcalfe
Con
South Essex
Question
The MP asks for confirmation that additional reasonable revenue costs will be met, particularly in Essex where half the affected schools are located.
Minister reply
Additional funding will be provided on an individual basis to ensure reasonable support. A working group with Essex MPs is being considered.
Jess Phillips
Lab
Birmingham Yardley
Question
The Member inquires about Ofsted inspections and questions the timing of procuring portacabins for weeks before 31 August.
Minister reply
Portacabins were being procured for 52 critical buildings. Procurement continues for additional schools deemed critical due to new evidence.
Anna Firth
Con
Southend
Question
The MP requests a risk assessment, demountable classrooms, and structural remediation measures for Kingsdown School, a special school in her constituency.
Minister reply
A caseworker is looking into the case. The name was published by the council leading to media inundation; hence, we assisted in reducing distractions.
Meg Hillier
Lab Co-op
Hackney South and Shoreditch
Question
The Member questions if some issues are due to years of underinvestment in capital and maintenance.
Minister reply
We have invested significantly with an overall 2021 spending review budget of £19 billion, including £7 billion allocated for the year 2023-24.
Mark Francois
Con
Rayleigh and Wickford
Question
The MP expresses concerns about discrepancies between promised relocatable classrooms and actual availability in affected schools.
Minister reply
Soft ground at Hockley has delayed the provision of temporary accommodation. Each site faces unique challenges, leading to evolving information as mitigations are put in place.
Andrew Gwynne
Ind
Gorton and Denton
Question
Today the Secretary of State has proved the value of having media studies on the curriculum. On the serious point, I have been notified by both my local education authorities that no schools under their control are affected. What they cannot tell me is whether any of the voluntary-aided, academies or free schools within their areas are affected. Can the Secretary of State assure me and Russell Scott Primary School headteacher that it will not be bumped down the programme to patch up this mess?
Minister reply
If the hon. Gentleman has schools impacted in his area—multi-academy trusts—they will have heard directly from us and he should have a “Dear colleague” letter with the details. Then he can contact the helpline for more information. On Building Schools for the Future, it will be based on condition and need.
North Cotswolds
Question
The Secretary of State is right to prioritise the safety of our children and to close schools where necessary. Will she now give an assurance that those 600 priority schools will be surveyed as quickly as possible? Then we can move on to all schools and find out where RAAC is present, and take the appropriate remediation for every school that has it.
Minister reply
I assure my hon. Friend that it is already below that number because we have been surveying every day. We have contracted eight building surveying companies to ensure sufficient capacity, and we hope to get through all suspected schools in the next couple of weeks.
Question
Building Schools for the Future was hugely expensive, bureaucratic with most of the money being spent before a single brick had been laid. How many of these schools may have been PFI-funded, and who will pick up the remedial work bill?
Minister reply
The Department has taken a different approach to reduce costs by simplifying design and construction, central procurement offering economies of scale, reducing costs significantly. On PFI, I will get back to him as I do not know how many have remaining PFI.
Question
In Newham, we have 8,363 children in temporary accommodation thanks to the Government’s housing policies. We have one primary school confirmed with RAAC and several others still in limbo. Can I be assured that this time, this Government will prioritise children without access to support their education so they do not endure another blight on their life chances?
Minister reply
I assure the hon. Lady that we will reduce impact on face-to-face learning as much as possible and prioritise getting children back in school. Newham is now one of the best-performing areas due to Conservative Government reforms.
Question
I am not aware of any RAAC schools in Stoke-on-Trent, but we have a number of schools with wider serious structural and safety issues. Will my right hon. Friend ensure that, just as with all the RAAC schools, we assess schools for wider structural and safety issues and look at how to address PFI agreements?
Minister reply
The school rebuilding programme is focused on condition; we will work with him to understand options for Trentham Academy and what PFI is doing to stop its eligibility for rebuilding.
Sarah Dyke
Lib Dem
Glastonbury and Somerton
Question
Children in Somerset are going back to school this week in buildings that may collapse at any moment. At least three schools in Somerton and Frome may have weak concrete. Will the Education Secretary apologise for all the stress caused by slashing repair bills?
Minister reply
If the schools in Somerton and Frome are identified, she will have a “Dear colleague” letter; we will do surveys as soon as possible with mitigation actions to ensure minimum disruption.
Question
To reassure Erewash residents, will my right hon. Friend reconfirm her commitment to the school rebuilding programme and can she assure me that the timetable for those rebuilds will be unaffected by repairs needed due to RAAC?
Minister reply
If they have already been approved, they will still go ahead. I think I had better get the names of the schools and check the details.
Clive Betts
Lab
Sheffield South East
Question
The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee drew attention to a National Audit Office report that highlighted serious underfunding in the Department for Education, which is the cause of these problems. The Secretary of State cannot stand up and say our children are safe because she does not know whether any more systemic failures will occur.
Minister reply
We have done three building and conditions surveys plus RAAC surveying and questionnaire programme, so we know a lot more than anybody has ever known.
Alberto Costa
Con
South Leicestershire
Question
It seems the risk of RAAC being present in two of my South Leicestershire schools is very low, but it has not been ruled out. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that her team will work as fast as possible to ensure affected schools are given information?
Minister reply
If their questionnaires have been provided and they are on the suspected RAAC list, there will be surveyors going in within a couple of weeks.
Apsana Begum
Lab
Poplar and Limehouse
Question
Seven Mills primary school was found to have RAAC; it had to close its main hall. I am concerned that schools currently able to remain open may be left behind in capital works due to being deemed a lower priority.
Minister reply
It is our intention that all the schools remain open as much as possible and we expect most of them will.
Bridgwater and West Somerset
Question
Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker—my question will be short. Multi-academy trusts are not getting in touch with MPs. Could the Secretary of State please ensure they do? I have two that are not in my constituency. That brings me to another problem: as the Minister for Schools, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Nick Gibb), is aware, Haygrove School in my constituency is a brand-new building that has now basically been condemned. The problem is that people think it is the cement. That building is two years old. I am afraid, Secretary of State, that decisions need to be made now about the building being re-done as soon as possible.
Minister reply
My hon. Friend should have the details of schools in his constituency in a “Dear colleague” letter, and he can phone the helpline to get information on those schools. In addition, I am sure that the schools would appreciate him getting in touch. If he has any difficulty with that, I or my right hon. Friend the Schools Minister would be very happy to help him.
Justin Madders
Lab
Ellesmere Port and Bromborough
Question
One positive from this farce is that we should hear no more lectures from Conservative Members about us not fixing the roof when the sun was shining. How detailed and accurate will the list be when the Secretary of State produces it? I ask because she emailed me on Friday night saying that no schools in my constituency were affected—one may be a possibility—but on Sunday I heard from a headteacher who has had to make arrangements because RAAC had been discovered in their school. The Secretary of State tells me that no schools in my constituency have a problem, but I know for a fact that that information is incorrect, so can she give an assurance that, when it comes out, the list will be 100% accurate?
Minister reply
It is very difficult to ensure 100% accuracy on a moving feast, but I will look at the case in question. We have caseworkers and a caseworker system, we have identified all the cases and the hon. Member should have all the details of all the cases in his constituency in the “Dear colleague” letter. If anyone does not have that, please contact me and the Schools Minister, and we will check it out.
Question
May I thank the Secretary of State for giving such a measured and reasonable statement in these very trying circumstances? The timing is terrible, as she acknowledged, but it is right that we put children’s safety first. Can she confirm that the reason the timing is terrible is that new facts have come to light, and that is why we have had to make the decision that we have?
Minister reply
One hundred per cent. The new information, which came as late as towards the end of August, is what made us take a different approach. I did not want to do that—it was the last thing I wanted to do—but it was the right thing to do.
Erith and Thamesmead
Question
Can the Secretary of State confidently confirm for me that every school that has been identified as having RAAC has been contacted by the Government on what action to take?
Minister reply
Yes, I can confirm that those that have been identified as having RAAC—there are two types: critical and non-critical condition—will have had action. We changed the action for the non-critical. Those that may be waiting are those with suspected RAAC, for which we will be doing surveys in the next two weeks. I am not sure whether the hon. Lady has a school in mind, but it could be in either of those categories.
Question
The information that I have from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is that there are no confirmed cases of RAAC in Stroud schools, but three schools are taking surveys as a precautionary measure, and those surveys will be accelerated. Will she take this opportunity to reassure parents and schools? If they listen to the media or to those on the Opposition Front Bench, they will think that every school in the country is crumbling, which is absolutely not the case. Will she also talk to the Department about ensuring that headteachers get information ahead of the public and the media, because we know that that has not always happened, and it is important to families?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. To put the scale into context, there are 22,500 schools in the country and 156 have been confirmed with RAAC. Of those that are suspected, which will go through the survey process, probably a third or less will be confirmed with RAAC. So it is important that we put that into context. We have taken tough decisions and the right action. The vast majority of parents, teachers and children will not be impacted by RAAC in our schools.
Clive Efford
Lab
Eltham and Chislehurst
Question
What has been exposed is how close the Government were prepared to go to catastrophe in one of our schools before they took last-minute action this summer, just before schools went back. A school in my constituency has had to close substantial parts of its buildings. A letter from the DFE, following their discussions, says: “As officials discussed with” the trust “the immediate actions should be treated as a short-term measure and you should already be developing a long-term plan for remediation of RAAC panels in your building.” The next paragraph goes on: “Please note the building survey in June 2023 was carried out as part of the DFE’s central RAAC Assessment Programme. As such, it should be considered in addition to, rather than in place of, any professional advice that you seek.” Just exactly how will the Government determine what they will pay for? What work will they accept? Will it be the professional judgment of the people the schools engage, or will it be the surveyors from the eight companies that the Secretary of State has just spoken about? How will these matters be resolved going forward, because the devil in these things is always in the detail?
Minister reply
I can confirm that surveyors registered with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors are acceptable.
Question
The Secretary of State knows that in July I met the Minister for Schools, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Nick Gibb), when St James’ Primary School in my constituency was found to have RAAC. The headteacher Mr Tutt and his staff and governors have done a heroic job in finding space for the children and having works done during the summer to restore the classrooms. Will the Minister meet me straight after this statement to confirm that they now pass muster so that the school can reopen as planned?
Minister reply
Yes, I can confirm that the Minister for Schools is doing a meeting with MPs after this, and he can meet after that. Those involved have done an excellent job, and I thank them all for the action that they have taken. We will, by the end of today, work with my right hon. Friend to ensure that we know how that can be finalised.
Question
There are conflicting reports about William Cassidi Primary School, St Michael’s Catholic Academy and Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy. The Secretary of State told me in her letter that they may have the dodgy concrete and that it could take weeks to survey them, but Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council says that no schools in the borough are affected and all remain open. How can school leaders reassure parents and the children themselves that they are safe in school when there is such conflicting information, and who is right?
Minister reply
There should not be conflicting information. The “Dear colleague” letter will be right, because that school will have an assigned caseworker. That is a school that the hon. Gentleman thinks will be surveyed, so it is not one that has been identified so far—
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Question
In the face of changing evidence, the cautious approach is clearly the right one, but, as has been acknowledged, that leads many pupils, including some at Waddesdon School in my constituency, back into receiving online learning rather than the face-to-face classroom learning that they deserve, which, equally, has a knock-on impact on a small number of children when it comes to safeguarding. Over the weekend and today, I have been in close contact with headteacher Matthew Abbott and his team at Waddesdon School, and so far, as of their call at 2 pm, they have not been offered direct assistance in getting temporary classrooms. Rather, they have been given the impression that they are to be left to their own devices in procuring their own under the usual public sector procurement rules, which are very onerous when it comes to renting things such as village halls or the Methodist church. Will my right hon. Friend intervene to ensure that Waddesdon School does get support on temporary classrooms, or, if it is left to its own devices, that the public sector procurement rules are made more lax when it comes to getting those facilities?
Minister reply
The reason that we have deliberately spoken to and worked with three portacabin or equivalent providers is to avoid just that problem. If my hon. Friend gives us the details, we will follow up on that.
Stella Creasy
Lab Co-op
Walthamstow
Question
I fear that the Secretary of State will rue her boasts about her good understanding as a hostage to fortune in what is going on today. Late on Friday evening, she wrote to me to say that Walthamstow School for Girls was being surveyed for suspected RAAC. That was a source of deep frustration to my local authority, which, when it saw that there were national incidents, spent its own money surveying every school in our borough and then paid for the remedial works. It has told the Department for Education about that not once, not twice, but three times. When there is this little grip on what is going on, how can any parent, pupil or school staff member have any confidence? If the Secretary of State wants to know why people are laughing rather than saying that she is doing a good job, she needs to look in the mirror.
Minister reply
I will take the hon. Lady’s advice and look in the mirror later. It is the responsible body’s job. If it has already gone ahead—as per the warnings we issued in 2018; we told everybody what they needed to do—I am delighted that it got on and did that work.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Question
I thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the hotline that she set up. I am pleased to say that it has informed my office that no RAAC has been found in my constituency, but I welcome the work she has done to keep children safe where it has been found. The Sir William Robertson Academy in my constituency does not have RAAC, but it does have other structural issues and is in the school rebuilding programme. The Chancellor has said that the money required to repair the concrete will be available. Can my right hon. Friend confirm that that is new money, and that the rebuild of Sir William Robertson Academy will still go ahead?
Minister reply
I will have to write to my hon. Friend about that particular school, because I do not have the list of all the school rebuilding, but the intention is that for schools that have already been identified and announced it will still go ahead.
Bury South
Question
I received an email from the Secretary of State at 7.15 pm on Friday, the weekend before schools were due to go back, advising that a school in my constituency might be affected, so the truth is that the Secretary of State does not even know. Can she advise when parents will know whether or not their children are safe at school, because this is not good enough, is it?
Minister reply
They are safe in school. When I say that a school might be affected, that means it has been identified as containing suspected RAAC from the questionnaire that the responsible body has sent back. Those are the ones we will be doing the surveys on in the next two weeks. As I say, usually two thirds of them are not affected, but it sounds to me like the hon. Gentleman’s school is in that category, and we will be getting to it in the next two weeks.
Question
When the issue of RAAC across the whole public estate was raised, I asked the Department what estimate it had made of the implications of its policies on the use of that material. On 25 July, I was told: “It is the responsibility of those who run schools and who work with their schools day to day to manage the safety and maintenance of their buildings…The Department provides support on a case by case basis if it is alerted to a serious safety issue which responsible bodies cannot manage independently.” Can the Secretary of State tell me who the responsible body was before this issue was brought to her attention? Was it the headteacher and the governing body, the local authority or the Department for Education?
Minister reply
The responsible bodies are typically the local authority or the multi-academy trust, but it is fair to say that we have recently changed our approach to become more directly involved, to make sure we help schools and responsible bodies to move quickly on this issue.
Catherine West
Lab
Hornsey and Friern Barnet
Question
I put on record my thanks to Hornsey School for Girls and the local authority, which do have a plan for students to return safely to school. My question is whether the money that was intended for the neighbouring schools—Fortismere, which is riddled with asbestos, and Highgate Wood School, which is desperate for a new sports hall as its current one is crumbling and Dickensian—will be used for Hornsey School for Girls? Is one part of the budget just going to be raided so that it can prop up a failing Government, a failing education service and a failing Education Department?
Minister reply
I do not agree with the last couple of comments, but if the school has already been confirmed for the school rebuilding programme, that will continue.
Question
Of course, education is devolved in Wales, but as the Secretary of State has rightly said, this is not a time for political point scoring, nor is it really a time for jurisdictional squabbling. Given that this issue predates devolution by several decades, will she confirm that, should the situation arise in Wales, any remedial funding required to repair the buildings will still be provided by the UK Government?
Minister reply
I think the Welsh Government will be providing the response to RAAC in Wales and also the funding for it.
Question
As the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr Roberts) has just said, the schools that are suffering from RAAC were built before devolution and the advent of the Welsh Government and have been inspected properly by the local authority. The Secretary of State has said to the Welsh Education Minister, “I stand ready to support you”, yet the Chancellor has said that there is no new money. Might not the people of Wales, and the people of Holyhead and Menai Bridge in particular, feel her words as an empty political gesture?
Minister reply
I think the hon. Gentleman knows that education is devolved in Wales.
Question
The Secretary of State has said on several occasions that she and her Department are prioritising pupils still accessing face-to-face learning. As that is the case, when she publishes her definitive list on Thursday, will she also publish an estimate of the number of pupils who are not able to access face-to-face learning, and will she commit to the House that she will update that estimate on an ongoing basis?
Minister reply
I cannot promise my right hon. Friend that that information will be contained in what is published this week—which is more likely to be about the schools and the mitigations that are in place—but we will then put together the information on pupils who are learning face to face and those who are learning remotely, and we will update that regularly.
Cat Smith
Lab
Lancaster and Wyre
Question
The Secretary of State will know that people go into teaching because they have a passion for educating young people and giving them a brighter future. They do not go into teaching to become building managers, and given that over the past 13 years lots of caretakers and school building managers have been cut because of school budget cuts, what confidence does she have that the information she is getting from these questionnaires is accurate?
Minister reply
It is the responsible body, not the schools, that is responding to the questionnaires. As the hon. Lady says, the schoolteachers are there to teach the children, but the responsible body will be responsible for filling in the questionnaires.
Question
I welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to publish the list of impacted schools as soon as possible. She is urging responsible bodies that have not responded to the questionnaires to fill them in and return them, and she said that 5% had not done so. Could we not make it a statutory requirement for responsible bodies to return those questionnaires, and will she think about publishing a list of those responsible bodies that have not done so?
Minister reply
My colleague Baroness Barran has written to those responsible bodies again and requested that they respond to the questionnaires by the end of the week. We will then need to consider what we do with those from which we are still awaiting responses.
Layla Moran
Lib Dem
Oxford West and Abingdon
Question
I spoke with the chief exec of a local trust earlier today, and that trust’s top priority is how it is going to fund this work. I was worried to hear the words “reasonable costs” from the Secretary of State just now. Can she confirm that a list of what is considered reasonable costs will be published as soon as possible, and would that include heating, for example? Clearly, heating a portacabin over winter is going to be much more costly than heating a well-insulated classroom.
Minister reply
Actually, the portacabins of today are very well insulated, but I would advise the hon. Lady that any particular case should be referred to the Department. The school can come directly to the Department with its revenue requests, and we will look at each one on an individual basis.
Question
Last year, it was announced that Wales High School, one of the largest secondary schools in Rother Valley, was part of the school rebuilding programme, with an investment of tens of millions of pounds to improve conditions for children. Does the Secretary of State agree that this Government have invested in rebuilding our schools, so that all of our children across the country have a better standard of education?
Minister reply
Yes, I absolutely agree. Our school rebuilding programme is much more efficient and much cheaper. It comes complete with classroom walls, and it is definitely much quicker to build as well.
Question
How many of the schools affected are academy schools? Are any of them free schools or stand-alone academies? For those schools that are not directly accountable to the Department for Education, what support are the Government giving to local authorities and diocesan authorities? In cases such as that of the school affected in my constituency, it is the Church of England that is on the frontline, so it needs extra help as well.
Minister reply
The Church of England is the responsible body for some of the schools as well. The schools affected were built between 1950 and the mid-90s—it is only schools built during that period—and we will work with all the responsible bodies.
Question
If an expert in concrete advises that a building might collapse, it is an obvious call to say that children should not be taught in it, so the Secretary of State was absolutely right to make the decision she made last week. When it comes to ensuring timely and accurate information for local authorities and local representatives, how does she propose to make sure that local councils and local diocesan boards of education are kept fully updated, particularly as the results of surveys come forward?
Minister reply
We intend to publish management information. As I say, the list that will be published this week will have the initial information about mitigations. We will publish more management information probably from the following week, and then we will regularly update it as cases move on and move off.
Kate Osborne
Lab
Jarrow and Gateshead East
Question
St James Catholic Primary School in my constituency had critical RAAC identified in June. Despite what the Secretary of State told the media this morning, this has not been immediately fixed, and the school is now closed. Ministers and the DFE guidance have been contradictory on funding temporary costs, and the school has been told to fund travel and temporary arrangements itself. This is not acceptable. Can she confirm a timetable for works to make schools safe, and that all costs will be fully funded? Finally, she made it clear earlier today that she does not consider this situation to be her fault or her responsibility, so maybe she can tell us who she thinks has been “sat on their arses”?
Minister reply
I made the point to a journalist earlier— an off-the-cuff remark after the interview had finished—but I was responding to the fact that, in effect, the journalist had interviewed me in a way that suggested everything my fault; saying everything in 1994 was my fault, when I was working elsewhere. I pointed this out to the journalist, off the cuff—[Interruption.] No, I am not thin-skinned at all. It was something I said off the cuff.
On that school, which is a much more serious issue, some of the schools on the critical list were closed if they had a large degree of RAAC. Those children should be being accommodated, but if they are not and there is no plan to do so, the Department for Education will be paying for the mitigations that will be put in place.
Ben Bradley
Constituency Party: Conservative
Nottingham East
Question
Offers reassurance to the House and parents in Nottinghamshire regarding school disruptions due to new building survey guidelines, highlighting minimal impact from these changes. Asks the Department to help ensure that existing temporary buildings are used appropriately.
Minister reply
Gratefully acknowledges Ben Bradley's work on this issue; commits to having a further discussion about stockpiled temporary buildings.
Mohammad Yasin
Constituency Party: Labour
Bedford
Question
Asks the Secretary of State to apologise for the poor record in ensuring public building safety and criticises the cancellation of Building Schools for the Future programme.
Minister reply
Rejects the criticism, pointing out that Priority School Building Programme was cheaper per square metre than Building Schools for the Future.
Emma Hardy
Constituency Party: Labour
Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Question
Asks for confirmation of no delays in building a new special educational needs and disability free school, questioning advice to prioritise safety over free schools.
Minister reply
States that building more places for special educational needs is part of the government’s commitment.
Patricia Gibson
Constituency Party: SNP
Glasgow North West
Question
Asks for assurance on providing additional financial support to schools in Scotland affected by repairs and requests consideration of the financial impact due to PFI legacy.
Minister reply
Acknowledges the difficulty but defends government's stance against Labour’s previous handling of public services.
Kevan Jones
Constituency Party: Labour
North Durham
Question
Expresses concern about delays and frustrations caused by closures at St Bede’s and St Leonard’s schools, questioning the government's handling of this situation.
Minister reply
Acknowledges difficulties faced by parents but defends decision to close schools for safety reasons.
Mary Foy
Constituency Party: Labour
City of Durham
Question
Asks for support to vulnerable pupils and families affected by closures, seeking financial assistance for repairs at St Leonard’s school.
Minister reply
Commits to mitigating the impact on children immediately and providing support in the future.
Sammy Wilson
Constituency Party: DUP
East Antrim
Question
Highlights concerns about the educational impact of school closures, especially during previous lockdowns due to COVID-19, questioning if this will be a default position.
Minister reply
Reassures that remote learning is minimised as much as possible and acknowledges ongoing impacts from past closures.
Paulette Hamilton
Constituency Party: Labour
Birmingham Erdington
Question
Asks for support to schools in her constituency affected by this issue, asking how lessons will be learned to prevent future crises.
Minister reply
Commits to working with caseworkers and ensuring suspected issues are surveyed promptly.
Jim Shannon
Constituency Party: DUP
Strangford
Question
Asks for details on discussions in Cabinet regarding support for schools in Northern Ireland, especially concerning Saintfield High School.
Minister reply
Commits to offering meetings and best practices to officials in Northern Ireland.
Richard Burgon
Constituency Party: Labour
Leeds East
Question
Criticises the government’s ideological focus on austerity for causing risk to children's education, asking about funding commitments.
Minister reply
Defends current funding levels and projects, citing £60 billion a year committed towards schools.
Question
At least four schools in my constituency have been affected by the RAAC issue. The Secretary of State will be aware that Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy had to close without notice, with children being taught online. The Secretary of State’s letter warning about the danger arrived after children and staff had been back in dangerous buildings in Leicester for three days because schools there reopened a week earlier than most—the start of the school term in Leicester was last week. What does she have to say to the parents, carers and guardians in my constituency whose vulnerable children were put at risk by the Government’s lack of prompt action, investment and care?
Minister reply
I am aware that, as the hon. Lady says, Leicester’s schools start a little earlier. However, the information on which we based our decision only really came forward at the end of August, so when we acted we had to act on new information, and that is what triggered the change. Of course, I am very sorry to parents and children because it has caused disruption to the start of their year, which was the last thing I wanted to do, but my priority is keeping them safe in school.
Shadow Comment
Bridget Phillipson
Shadow Comment
The shadow Secretary of State criticised the government's handling of RAAC risks, arguing it represents a wider failure in the education system. She highlighted that over 13 years, the government has cut funding for school rebuilding projects and failed to address older buildings' deteriorating condition. Phillipson questioned why the full list of affected schools is not immediately published and queried about the timeline for repairs, emergency service preparedness, and potential risks posed by asbestos.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.