Schools won’t have to pay to fix crumbling concrete, minister says
Schools affected by collapse-risk concrete will not have to pay for repairs out of their budgets, the education secretary has insisted.
Gillian Keegan told Sky News there will be no new money to fix the problem, but the costs will be covered by the Department for Education (DfE).
There has been a growing row over who will pay to pick up the bill for repairs to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) after the government announced last week that more than 100 schools in England would have to close or partially close because of the risks associated with it.
Labour has accused the government of being in “complete chaos” over the issue and accused the prime minister of putting lives at risk by slashing funding for school refurbishment when he was chancellor.
Politics Live: Speculation grows over Labour reshuffle today
A taped-off section inside a school affected with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC)
Ms Keegan said ministers had already procured stock of portable cabins for schools that need temporary accommodation – and the DfE is paying for this “directly”.
She said: “We have eight structural surveying firms who go in and do the surveys.
“We have three portacabin providers, so we’ve laid up a stock of portacabins so that people can be prepared quickly to be able to do that if they need temporary accommodation. And we’ve also looked at a propping company that’s nationwide.
“The Department for Education will pay for all of that.”
Ms Keegan could not say how much funding would be ringfenced towards the issue but admitted it was likely to cost “many, many millions of pounds” – as some schools will have to be rebuilt.
Asked if schools that are already strapped for cash will have to find more money, Ms Keegan insisted: “No, we will pay for that.”
Asked if the money will come out of school budgets, Ms Keegan said: “No. It’s coming out of the Department for Education.”
Read more:
The schools we know are affected
Pupils face disruption due to probe
Hundreds of crumbling schools to be renovated
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What is the concrete crisis?
On Sunday Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he would “spend what it takes” to address the problem, but Treasury sources later said money for repairs would come from the Department for Education’s (DfE) existing capital budget.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was concerned that “raiding” the DfE’s capital budget – money for buildings and infrastructure – to fund repairs could have a negative effect in the long-term.
The government has admitted more classrooms could be forced to shut as further assessments are made of the risks of RAAC.
Ministers have promised to publish a list of the schools affected “in due course” but Labour has threatened to force a vote to compel its publication next week.
Thangam Debbonaire, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, told Sky News the full scale of the problem is still unknown and ministers must “come clean to parents, staff and pupils” and publish the list of schools affected.
She said the Tories “cancelled the building schools for the future plan” and under Rishi Sunak as chancellor “funding for school refurbishment was halved in 2021, by which time they already knew about the RAAC”.
“The Secretary of State appears to be just so weak on getting a grip on this problem and parents are left in the dark for yet another day,” she said.
The government changed its guidance on RAAC last week after the collapse of a beam previously considered safe.
But concerns about RAAC – a lightweight concrete used up until the mid-1990s – in public buildings were raised in 2018, prompting accusations that ministers have failed to act quickly enough.
Experts have warned the risks may extend beyond schools to hospitals, court buildings and prisons, where the material is present.
Police have announced a £20,000 reward in the hunt for the killers of a man in north London in March.
Mahad Abdi Mohamed, 27, died after being shot in the head in Waverley Road, Tottenham at 8.45pm on 20 March, the Metropolitan Police said.
The Met, which announced the reward from the independent charity Crimestoppers, said officers believed the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
Police now want to speak to two people in connection with the incident.
DCI Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said: “There is someone out there who knows what happened that night, and we are urging those individuals to find it in their heart to come forward. It could be exactly what we need to locate those responsible.”
Images of the two people police would like to speak to. Pics: Metropolitan Police
A targeted attack
Police believe the suspects, who got out of a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander, which was later recovered burned out, were taking part in a targeted attack.
On the night of the murder, Mahad had spent the early evening with his friend at their home.
They were breaking their fast outside when the Mitsubishi Outlander approached and the suspects opened fire, striking Mahad and his friend multiple times.
Mahad’s 26-year-old friend received treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg.
The force suspects another stolen vehicle, a blue Jaguar, was used to transport the suspects to and from the Mitsubishi.
Read more from Sky News:
Driver guilty of murder in Christmas Day rampage
Ukraine “hits Russian tanker in Mediterranean Sea for first time”
The stolen cars from the night. Pics: Metropolitan Police
Police arrested four adult men in March and April on suspicion of murder, who were subsequently bailed.
The investigation so far has led officers to believe whoever killed Mahad set out to hurt someone else in a pre-planned, targeted attack.
Appealing to the public for information, Mahad’s youngest sister said: “To stay silent is to be complicit. To stay silent is to let a grieving mother suffer in confusion. To stay silent is to let a little boy grow up not knowing what happened to his father.”
Pic: Metropolitan Police
The reward, which is offered for information that leads to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible, is available for three months and is due to expire on 20 March 2026.
Ferry passengers getting home for Christmas from Dover face delays of up to one hour after French border controls were hit by IT issues.
The border began experiencing technology issues before peak traffic arrival on Saturday morning.
Port of Dover Travel said in a post on X, at 9.21am, that there were still ongoing issues which were resulting in delays. It later confirmed delays were still ongoing at 12.02pm.
The organisation, which has not since issued an update, also urged passengers not to arrive more than two hours before their ferry leaves.
The Port of Dover estimates nearly 30,000 cars will board for outward journeys during the festive period, with traffic peaking between 6am and 1pm from Friday to Sunday.
It is forecast to be the busiest Christmas period on record for Dover crossings. Pic: Getty
It is also forecast to be the busiest year on record for the Christmas getaway in the UK.
P&O Ferries, which operates some of the ships from the port, said there are large queues on the approach roads and in the buffer area.
But once through passengers will face a smooth journey with no check-in delays, it added.
Read more:
Indian high-speed train hits and kills seven elephants
London’s roads ranked most congested in Europe
The Port of Dover added in the post: “We also ask that all port-bound traffic remain on the main roads to the port, the A20 and A2, and keep the local roads clear for the community.
“If customers do miss their scheduled sailing due to the wait times, their ferry operator will place them on the next available crossing.”
Simon Jones, an AA expert patrol, said: “It’s beginning to look a lot like traffic. Our advice is simple: plan ahead, check your route and allow extra time. Patience will be your best present this year.”
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024