Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the construction of buildings operated under its remit.

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. This includes academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies. 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.

Nothing is more important than the safety of pupils and teachers. This is why the Department has been putting significant funding into transforming schools across the country. Where there are serious safety issues with a building, the Department supports responsible bodies to take immediate and swift action to ensure the safety of pupils and school staff.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was in use between the 1950s and mid 1990s, a time when school construction was generally the responsibility of Local Authorities. During this period, the Department published guidance on school buildings most commonly through the Building Bulletin series, in which there was no policy mandating the materials to be used.

The Department is working with responsible bodies, schools, and colleges to support them through the process of investigation, assessment and management of RAAC.

Where a school or responsible body has a significant issue with a school building either for RAAC or other condition issues that cannot be managed with local resources, the Department’s policy is to provide additional advice and support on a case by case basis.