Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which of her Department's (a) capital and (b) revenue budgets is being used to defray (i) capital and (ii) revenue costs associated with the need for mitigating reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) risks in schools.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.

The Department has committed £1.8 billion of capital funding for the 2023/24 financial year to improve the condition of school buildings, as part of over £15 billion allocated since 2015. On top of this, the Department will transform 500 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme, prioritising buildings in the poorest condition. Currently, 400 schools have been announced to date.

The Government will spend what it takes to keep children safe. The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable requests will be approved. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term. This will not affect existing programmes. Further details will be set out in due course.