Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there will be Barnett consequentials associated with the additional expenditure associated with remedying Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) 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 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.

The Department has committed £1.8 billion of capital funding for the 2023/4 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 our School Rebuilding Programme, prioritising buildings in the poorest condition. Currently, 400 schools have been announced to date.

The Department is committed to working collaboratively with our devolved administration counterparts on this issue, and the Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way to any change in the Government Departmental budget.