Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools have been contacted by her Department to submit cladding for testing.

The Government is taking the potential impact from the tragic Grenfell Tower fire very seriously. Building owners across the public sector estate have been contacted to ensure any risks are managed and dealt with appropriately and promptly. As part of this, we have contacted all bodies responsible for safety in schools, further education colleges and universities instructing them to carry out checks to identify any building which may require further investigation.

The two schools to date, where ACM cladding has been identified and tested, have been alerted to the results. As a precautionary step, both schools have already been inspected by the Fire and Rescue Service who confirmed appropriate measures are in place to mitigate the risks from potential fire, and the buildings have now been declared safe for continued use.

The Department for Education is continuing to work closely with the schools concerned to support them and ensure all the necessary steps are taken to ensure the continued safety of the buildings.

All schools already have to follow a range of strict fire safety regulations designed to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire. They must have robust plans to follow in the event of a fire, conduct regular fire drills, install sprinklers if an assessment deems them necessary and typically have multiple exit routes.