Labour plans to force a vote to compel the government to reveal the full list of schools affected by the Raac building safety crisis.
It comes amid growing demands for transparency over the extent of the impact of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in public buildings.
Experts have warned that the current crisis may not be limited to the education sector, with the material also known to be present in hospitals, court buildings and Department for Work and Pensions facilities.
Labour said it planned to put forward a humble address – an arcane parliamentary mechanism used to demand papers from government departments – to force the publication of the list of schools.
Callout
More than 100 schools and colleges were told by the Department for Education (DfE) to fully or partially shut buildings identified as containing Raac this week, days before the start of a new school term.
While many of the impacted schools have since been named in media reports, the DfE has not confirmed when a list of affected schools will be published.
On Friday the schools minister, Nick Gibb, told the BBC a list would be published once remediation measures were put in place “and the schools are in a stable place”.
But on Saturday, the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said the party would force publication in a parliamentary vote next week “if they still refuse to publish these documents and give parents the reassurances they deserve about the risks to their children’s safety”.
Labour last used a “humble address” to force the release of papers, advice and correspondence relating to PPE contracts linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone.
So far, 104 schools have been told to immediately close areas or buildings after the DfE escalated its response to Raac, which has a lifespan of about 30 years.
A report by the National Audit Office in June identified 572 schools where the “bubbly” concrete, which is liable to collapse, may be present.
Through surveys, DfE has confirmed Raac in 156 settings in England. Of those, 52 had safety measures in place – such as propping.
The Liberal Democrats have urged Rishi Sunak to call a Cobra meeting – used to discuss high-level coordination on national crises – to deal with the issue.
Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem treasury spokesperson and public accounts committee member, said: “This government has yet again put children and patients last.
“Rishi Sunak needs to treat this as the crisis it is for every family affected and call a Cobra meeting to put into place urgent safeguards and alternatives.”
