Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of state-funded schools that have buildings affected by the rusting of steel reinforcements in concrete, so-called concrete cancer; and if she will provide a list of those schools.

The Department is currently asking all responsible bodies of state funded schools in England to complete a questionnaire about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their estates. RAAC is a type of concrete component containing a steel reinforcing bar, although this is a separate issue from ‘concrete cancer’. The information collected is actively being used to help the Department target and provide appropriate support to help responsible bodies manage RAAC in their estates.

Between 2017 – 2019, the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme collected information on the condition of 22,031 government funded schools in England.

CDC assessed the condition of the construction types in a school, grading elements such as roofs, windows, and heating systems with a condition grade from A (good/new) to D (poor/life expired).

CDC was a visual, non-intrusive data collection and did not collect the level of detail like presence of rust, so would not have necessarily identify issues with the structural frame of a building which will often be hidden. Bodies responsible for school buildings, such as academy trusts and local authorities, are expected to carry out their own surveys to effectively manage their estates and had the opportunity to submit professional evidence on structural issues as part of nominations to the School Rebuilding Programme.

The Department published a summary report of the CDC findings in May 2021 and plans to publish school level data for CDC by the end of the year. The summary report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the school estate since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed in 2022, and is also rebuilding 500 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme. The Department also provides a range of guidance, tools and support to help schools and responsible bodies effectively manage their school buildings and keep them safe.