Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete from all hospitals.

Extensive building survey works have been conducted by National Health Service trusts to identify the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their fabric, using technology to record potential issues and visually identify and log potential risks. So far 27 sites with confirmed RAAC plank construction have been identified and RAAC has already been removed completely from three of these. There is ongoing engagement with trusts on a national and regional level to ensure RAAC is being fully identified across the NHS estate.

We have allocated a total of £698 million for mitigation works, which involves putting in place necessary remediation and failsafe measures, in all the affected trusts up to 2025. Funding is being allocated annually, based on NHS trust plans and delivery progress. Further, the seven worst affected hospitals are being rebuilt by 2030 through the New Hospital Programme.

We have committed to eradicating RAAC from the publicly owned NHS estate by 2035, protecting patient and staff safety in the interim period, with NHS approaching this on a ‘risk basis’ and prioritising NHS trusts of concern. The estimated cost of full eradication through to 2035 will change over time due to several factors and will be considered at each spending review.