Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential for all new state-funded educational buildings to be net-zero from 2022 and all existing state-funded educational buildings to be retrofitted to net-zero by 2030.

The department supports sustainability through its capital funding programmes, both to reduce carbon and save schools and the wider education estate money on energy.

We have allocated almost £9 billion in condition funding since 2015 to maintain and improve school buildings. In addition, the Priority School Building Programme is rebuilding or refurbishing school buildings in the worst condition across the country, covering over 500 schools.

Condition funding can be invested in projects which improve energy efficiency. In addition, interest free loans for energy efficiency projects are available through the government backed Salix finance scheme.

More broadly, we are working with colleagues across government on carbon reduction and energy efficiency, and we are developing thinking on how future school capital programmes can contribute further.

Like all departments, we are doing a great deal of preparatory work to understand what resources the education sector needs over the coming years, including as part of the wider response to COVID-19.