Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken recent steps to determine the prevalence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in school sport facilities; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of RAAC on (a) student access to sport facilities and (b) the Government's target of having equal access to sport for girls by 2025.

Nothing is more important than the safety of pupils and staff. It has always been the case that when made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department has taken immediate action.

The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. The Department is working at pace to understand the prevalence of RAAC in our education estate, including in school sport facilities.

The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era. The questionnaire remains open, and it is important that all responsible bodies submit and update their responses as more information becomes available.

Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast-tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already confirmed they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.

The School Sport and Activity Action Plan published in July 2023 set out how the Government funded School Games Mark will phase in equality criteria from September 2023 and become a mandatory part of the School Games Mark from September 2024.

The Government has committed to publishing non-statutory guidance by the end of the calendar year to support schools to learn from other schools who are delivering equality of access in the context of their wider curriculum.

In November 2021, the Department awarded the girls competitive sport contract to SLQ, worth up to £980,000 until 31 March 2024. The programme provides girls aged 8-16 with the skills and confidence to overcome some of the known barriers to their continued participation in competitive and sports leadership opportunities.

The Government understands that school facilities provide pupils with some of their first experiences of accessing sport and physical activity, which can support them to lead a lifetime of playing sport and being physically active. The Department has made up to £57 million available until March 2025 to support up to 1,350 schools to open their sport facilities outside of core school hours.

Schools can organise and deliver a diverse and challenging PE and school sport offer that best suits the needs of their pupils. Factors influencing that decision will include the impact of RAAC on spaces available for sports.