Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of information published by her Department on the condition and safety of school buildings.

The Condition Data Collection (CDC) was one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK public sector. It collected data on the building condition of Government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target the capital funding it provides for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.

The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Individual reports have been provided to schools and the relevant local authority or trust to help inform their maintenance plans alongside their own more detailed surveys and safety checks. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. This data is being prepared and will be published as soon as possible.

Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Over £13 billion has been allocated for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year. The 10-year School Rebuilding Programme is condition led and 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have now been provisionally allocated.