More schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light, Jeremy Hunt says
The chancellor has admitted more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light in the coming weeks.
It comes as the government investigates the extent of problems with crumbling concrete, also known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
RAAC is a type of concrete that has also been used in public buildings, such as hospitals and court buildings.
More than 100 schools and colleges have been told by the Department for Education (DfE) to partially or fully shut buildings – just days before the start of the new school year – over fears about the safety of facilities built with RAAC.
The government has so far identified 156 schools that contain RAAC – with 104 schools or “settings” told to close or partially close, on top of another 50 where mitigations have already been put in place.
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However, speaking to Sky News’ new politics show Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips Jeremy Hunt admitted that more schools and other public buildings with structural problems could come to light as the government carries out its “exhaustive” programme into the problem.
“Obviously we might find new information in the weeks or months ahead and we will act on it, but in terms of the information we have today we have acted immediately, we will continue to act we will continue to invest,” he said.
The announcement by the DfE that some schools may be forced to close prompted anger from parents and opposition parties, with Labour accusing the government of “staggering incompetence”.
But Mr Hunt defended the government’s response to the issue, saying it would “take action immediately” on any risks – which also include concerns of possible asbestos outbreaks in public buildings.
Jeremy Hunt was speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme.
“As soon as problems have been identified we’ve started a huge survey of every single school in the country so we could identify where these problems are,” he said.
“And I think it’s very important to reassure parents that where there is an issue as soon as we find out about it we will act.”
He added that the government would do “what it takes to make sure that children are safe” and that as chancellor he would “prioritise spending money to sort out these problems where that needs to happen”.
Elsewhere in the programme, Mr Hunt was asked about the state of the British economy after he welcomed figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which showed that the UK’s economy was 0.6% larger than pre-pandemic levels by the fourth quarter of 2021 and had the third-fastest recovery in the G7 during that period – behind only the US and Canada.
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In full: Jeremy Hunt
He told Trevor Phillips:
ā¢ That despite the economy performing better than expected, he would not have taken a different approach because it was the government’s “priority” to bring down inflation – which peaked at over 11%
ā¢ His plan to reform the public sector does not involve “more cuts” and that the government will prioritise reducing debt over increasing borrowing by making public services more efficient and cutting the amount of time frontline staff spend on administrative tasks
ā¢ The government believes it is “morally wrong” to leave substantial debt to future generations – as he attacked Labour’s plans to increase borrowing by Ā£100bn”.
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Schools face closure over safety fears
Schools impacted by the RAAC crisis have been advised by the government to find space in nearby schools, community centres or even “empty local office buildings”.
Ministers have said such spaces should be utilised for the “first few weeks” while structural supports are installed to mitigate the risk of collapse of structures built with RAAC.
Schools Minister Nick Gibb has pledged to publish the list in “in due course”, while it is understood a full list will only be released by the DfE when all parents are informed and mitigations are in place.
Read more:
List of all the schools we know are affected by concrete safety fears
Hospitals, courts and a shopping centre: Which other buildings are at risk of concrete collapse?
The crisis has prompted Labour to ramp up its calls for the government to reveal the “full extent” of the impact of RAAC, including by publicly listing the schools which have had to close or partially shut.
Also speaking to Trevor Phillips, Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said her party wanted to force a vote to get the government to release the full list of the schools affected.
“Children are going to have to move to alternative accommodation or portable cabins with steel props holding up the ceiling,” she said.
“I don’t think there can be a more defining metaphor for the last 13 years of Conservative government than children sat in classrooms with steel props to stop the ceiling falling in on their heads.”
It was perhaps not quite how officials, in London at least, had envisaged the announcement of the state visit would be made.
In the Oval Office, Donald Trump revealed the news in his own way.
“I was invited by the King and the great country. They are going to do a second fest – that’s what it is. It is beautiful,” he said during an impromptu Oval Office moment.
The question was, did this “fest” – which Mr Trump suggested could happen in September – amount to the much hyped second state visit for the American president?
Or was this actually just the smaller visit that had been offered two months ago as an initial bilateral visit at which the state visit would be discussed?
Back in February, Sir Keir Starmer presented the president with a letter from King Charles and the offer of a state visit.
The letter proposed an initial meeting between the King and the president to discuss details of the state visit at either Dumfries House or Balmoral, both in Scotland, close to Mr Trump’s golf clubs.
The King wrote: “Quite apart from this presenting an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, it would also offer a valuable chance to plan a historic second state visit to the United Kingdomā¦ As you will know this is unprecedented by a US president. That is why I would find it helpful for us to be able to discuss, together, a range of options for location and programme content.”
As he revealed the news of his “fest” with his “friend Charles”, Mr Trump said: “I think they are setting a date for Septemberā¦”
Sources have since confirmed to Sky News that it will amount to the full state visit.
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Sir Keir Starmer handed Trump the invite earlier this year. Pic: Reuters
‘Even more important’
It’s possible the initial less formal presidential trip may still happen between now and September. Mr Trump is in Europe for the NATO summit in June and is due in Scotland to open a new golf course soon too.
“It is the second time it has happened to one person. The reason is we have two separate terms, and it’s an honour to be a friend of King Charles and the family, William,” the president said.
“I don’t know how it can be bigger than the last one. The last one was incredible, but they say the next one will be even more important.”
His last state visit in 2019, at the invitation of the late Queen, drew significant protests epitomised by the giant blow-up “Baby Trump” which floated over Parliament Square.
The president was hosted by the Queen in June 2019. Pic: Reuters
Britain’s trump card
September is a little earlier than had been expected for the visit. It may be an advantage for it to happen sooner rather than later, given the profoundly consequential and controversial nature of the first few months of his second term.
The decision by the British government to play its “state visit trump card” up front back in February drew some criticism.
And since February, Mr Trump’s position on numerous issues has been increasingly at odds with all of America’s allies.
On Ukraine, he has seemingly aligned himself closely with Vladimir Putin. His tariffs have caused a global economic shock. And on issues like Greenland and Canada, a member of the Commonwealth, he has generated significant diplomatic shock.
A risk worth taking
Mr Trump is as divisive among the British public as he is in America. Sir Keir is already walking a political tightrope by choosing the softly softly approach with the White House.
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The UK government chose not to retaliate against Mr Trump’s tariffs, unlike some allies. Sir Keir and his cabinet have been at pains not to be seen to criticise the president in any way as they seek to influence him on Ukraine and seek an elusive economic deal on tariffs.
On that tariff deal, despite some positive language from the US side and offers on the table, there has yet to be a breakthrough. A continuing challenge is engaging with the president for decisions and agreements only he, not his cabinet, will make.
British officials acknowledge the risk the state visit poses. In this presidency, anything could happen between now and September.
But they argue British soft power and Mr Trump’s fondness for the Royal Family and pomp – or a “fest” as he calls it – amount to vital diplomatic clout.
For a special relationship under strain, a special state visit is the tonic.
Politics
Laws may need to be bolstered to crack down on exploitation of child ‘influencers’, senior MP suggests
Laws may need to be strengthened to crack down on the exploitation of child “influencers”, a senior Labour MP has warned.
Chi Onwurah, chair of the science, technology and innovation committee, said parts of the Online Safety Act – passed in October 2023 – may already be “obsolete or inadequate”.
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Experts have raised concerns that there is a lack of provision in industry laws for children who earn money through brand collaborations on social media when compared to child actors and models.
This has led to some children advertising in their underwear on social media, one expert has claimed.
Those working in more traditional entertainment fields are safeguarded by performance laws, which strictly govern the hours a minor can work, the money they earn and who they are accompanied by.
The Child Influencer Project, which has curated the world’s first industry guidelines for the group, has warned of a “large gap in UK law” which is not sufficiently filled by new online safety legislation.
Official portrait of Chi Onwurah.
Pic: UK Parlimeant
The group’s research found that child influencers could be exposed to as many as 20 different risks of harm, including to dignity, identity, family life, education, and their health and safety.
Ms Onwurah told Sky News there needs to be a “much clearer understanding of the nature of child influencers ‘work’ and the legal and regulatory framework around it”.
She said: “The safety and welfare of children are at the heart of the Online Safety Act and rightly so.
“However, as we know in a number of areas the act may already be obsolete or inadequate due to the lack of foresight and rigour of the last government.”
Victoria Collins, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for science, innovation and technology, agreed that regulations “need to keep pace with the times”, with child influencers on social media “protected in the same way” as child actors or models.
“Liberal Democrats would welcome steps to strengthen the Online Safety Act on this front,” she added.
‘Something has to be done’
MPs warned in 2022 that the government should “urgently address the gap in UK child labour and performance regulation that is leaving child influencers without protection”.
They asked for new laws on working hours and conditions, a mandate for the protection of the child’s earnings, a right to erasure and to bring child labour arrangements under the oversight of local authorities.
However, Dr Francis Rees, the principal investigator for the Child Influencer Project, told Sky News that even after the implementation of the Online Safety Act, “there’s still a lot wanting”.
“Something has to be done to make brands more aware of their own duty of care towards kids in this arena,” she said.
Dr Rees added that achieving performances from children on social media “can involve extremely coercive and disruptive practices”.
“We simply have to do more to protect these children who have very little say or understanding of what is really happening. Most are left without a voice and without a choice.”
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The researcher pointed to one particular instance, in which children were advertising an underwear brand on social media.
She said: “The kids in the company’s own marketing material or their own media campaigns are either pulling up the band of the underwear underneath their clothing, or they’re holding the underwear up while they’re fully clothed.
“But whenever you look at any of the sponsored content produced by families with children – mum, dad, and child are in their underwear.”
Dr Rees said it is “night and day” in terms of how companies are behaving when they have responsibility for the material, versus “the lack of responsibility once they hand it over to parents with kids”.
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