Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools with costs associated with the removal of asbestos from school buildings where it is deemed necessary due to the repair or development of those buildings.

Well-maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. The Department takes the issue of asbestos in schools seriously and is committed to supporting schools, Local Authorities and Academy Trusts to fulfil their duty to manage asbestos safely.

The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving school buildings since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed for the 2022/23 financial year. This funding can be used for asbestos removal during the completion of works when it is required.

The Department expects all Local Authorities, governing bodies and Academy Trusts to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties. To support this, the Department published updated guidance on ‘Managing asbestos in your School’ in 2020, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/asbestos-management-in-schools.

The Department follows expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive that as long as asbestos-containing materials are in good condition, well protected, and are unlikely to be worked on, it is usually safer to manage them in place. Asbestos is often removed as part of wider work to improve or replace buildings. Asbestos containing materials should also be removed if they are likely to be disturbed during routine maintenance work or daily use of the building, and will release fibres, without being easily repaired and protected.