Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England have been built using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC); and what steps she is taking to test the structural integrity of those buildings.

The Department is in the process of gathering information from responsible bodies of all schools, asking them to complete a questionnaire on the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their premises.

The Department published updated guidance on RAAC in December 2022 and has appointed three leading structural surveying firms to investigate all cases of suspected RAAC. The Department is supporting responsible bodies to undertake this and their consultant structural engineers with assessing and managing RAAC in their estates. Where RAAC is confirmed, the Department helps access appropriate support through existing departmental programmes.