Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Department's Answer to WQ17788 on 16 July 2026, what portion of the £710 million renewal and retrofit programme has been spent on air conditioning systems for schools to date.

The new Renewal and Retrofit Programme was launched to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready. The programme will initially focus in 2026/27 on replacing the worst-condition, life-expired temporary buildings alongside installation of energy generation and efficiency measures. There was no application process, and projects are currently being selected.

As the programme expands from 2027, it will support a broader range of renewal projects, such as those addressing significant issues with roofs, heating and electrical systems, while also considering measures to improve resilience to flooding and overheating. The programme will take a whole-site approach, assessing individual school needs and delivering a range of interventions that improve building condition and increase resilience to climate change.

The department will set out further details on how schools and colleges join the programme when it is expanded from 2027 in due course.