Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their archive buildings.

On 1 May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) planks. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.

The National Archives, a non-ministerial department of HM Government, has been in contact with the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport team about this issue and has also conducted a write-round to the local Place of Deposit for Public Records network and the Chief Archivists in Local Government Group.

HM Government will consider the approach to any RAAC in other public sector estates on a case-by-case basis.