Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Department for Education’s Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022, published on 19 December 2022, what urgent steps they are taking to address serious structural issues which have been identified in school buildings, particularly those built between 1945 and 1970; and what additional infrastructure funding they are making available for this purpose.

Safe and well-maintained school buildings are a priority for the department, including those built between 1945 and 1970. That is why we have allocated over £13 billion since 2015 for improving the condition of schools, including £1.8 billion in the 2022/23 financial year, informed by consistent data on the condition of the estate. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will carry out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at 500 schools across England, with buildings prioritised based on their condition. There are now 400 projects in the programme, with the most recent set of 239 schools announced in December 2022.

There are no open areas of school or college buildings where the department is aware of an imminent risk to life due to the condition of the buildings. Where the department is alerted to significant safety issues with a building that cannot be managed within local resources, we provide additional support on a case-by-case basis. We also provide extensive guidance for schools and those responsible for school buildings to manage their estates effectively.