Government must come clean on which schools in Bolton are affected by crumbling concrete

The Government has refused to reveal which schools are affected by failing RAAC concrete. The Liberal Democrats are calling for the Government to release the list of schools affected. 

104 schools have been told to close buildings because they are at risk of collapse due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). However a list of schools affected has not been made available by the Department for Education. 

The Schools Minister Nick Gibb has also conceded that the Government still does not have a definitive list of all schools that might be affected as they “continue to do more surveying work”. 

Councillor Neil Maher, Liberal Democrat representative for Westhoughton South, said: “The Government must come clean about what schools in Bolton are affected by crumbling concrete. The secrecy about where these schools are located is creating worry and concern for all parents and teachers. 

“Pupil safety must always be paramount and parents in Bolton, including here in Westhoughton, want to be reassured that they are not sending their child back to school in an unsafe building that may collapse.  

“Ministers must release information about each and every school that has been affected so far, and also set out a timetable to complete inspections on all other schools suspected to have RAAC. 

“The truth is that we should never have gotten to this point. The Government has known about this crumbling concrete for years, but time and again has denied our children the money needed to stop schools from collapsing completely."

Councillor Maher has asked a question to Bolton Council to seek answers on the situation locally.