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<p>Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the department to support
a high-quality education for all children. Responsibility for keeping buildings safe
and well maintained lies with schools and their responsible bodies, such as local
authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided (VA) bodies. The department supports
responsible bodies by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes
and offering guidance and support.</p><p>The government is funding the permanent removal
of RAAC present in schools and colleges either through capital grants, or through
the School Rebuilding Programme. The 2021 Spending Review announced a total of £19
billion of capital funding to support the education sector between the 2022/23 and
2024/25 financial years. Funding for RAAC during this spending period will be managed
from unallocated departmental capital budgets and will not involve cutting existing
commitments.</p><p>The scope and cost of each RAAC project will vary depending on
the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. The department is
working with settings to conduct the necessary technical assessments as quickly as
possible to scope and progress the works needed. The total costs will not be known
until all building works have been carried out.</p><p>With regard to asbestos, the
department expects all local authorities, governing bodies, and academy trusts to
have robust plans in place to manage any asbestos in school buildings effectively,
in line with their legal duties. The department follows advice from the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) that as long as asbestos is in good condition, well protected
and unlikely to be damaged or disturbed, it is usually safer to manage in place.</p><p>In
many cases, asbestos will be removed as part of wider rebuilding or refurbishment
work and annual condition funding can be used to remove asbestos where required. The
department has allocated over £17 billion since 2015 for keeping schools safe and
operational, including £1.8 billion in each year of the 2021 Spending Review period.
Decisions on spending are primarily taken locally by responsible bodies, so the department
does not hold data on the total cost of spend on asbestos removal. Where asbestos
needs to be removed as part of work to mitigate RAAC, based on professional advice,
the department will work closely with responsible bodies to help them do so.</p>
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