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<p>It is the responsibility of those who run schools - academy trusts, Local Authorities
and voluntary-aided school bodies - to manage the safety and maintenance of their
schools and to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building.
It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware a building may
pose an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.</p><p>The Department will spend
what it takes to keep children safe. The Department will fund emergency mitigation
work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space
where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs,
like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, all reasonable
requests will be approved. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment
projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue
in the long term.</p><p>The Department has committed £1.8 billion of capital funding
for the 2023/4 financial year to improve the condition of school buildings, as part
of over £15 billion allocated since 2015. On top of this, the Department will transform
500 schools through our School Rebuilding Programme, prioritising buildings in the
poorest condition. Currently, 400 schools have been announced to date.</p><p>The Department
is committed to working collaboratively with our devolved administration counterparts
on this issue, and the Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way to
any change in the Government Departmental budget.</p>
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