Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking rebuild school buildings which are old and have high maintenance costs.

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced a new, ten-year School Rebuilding Programme last June, which will replace poor condition school buildings with modern, energy efficient designs. The first 50 schools to benefit have been announced, as part of a commitment to 500 rebuilding projects over the next decade. The department expects to confirm a further 50 projects this year and plans to consult on the approach to prioritising future projects later in 2021.

In addition, the Priority Schools Building Programme has been rebuilding or refurbishing buildings in poor condition at over 500 schools across England.

The department also allocates condition funding to schools and those responsible for school buildings to maintain and improve the condition of school buildings. £11.3 billion has been allocated in condition funding since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed in this financial year. Allocations are informed by consistent data on the condition of the school estate.