Scottish ministers have been aware of the risks of collapse-prone concrete since last summer, Shirley-Anne Somerville said as she pledged to be “open” with the public on concerns.
The Social Justice Secretary confirmed officials from the Scottish Government had been communicating with local authorities since “way back in July 2022” to share information on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).
It comes as a freedom of information request shows a document prepared by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warning of potential “structural collapse” of hospitals, the “prevalence of asbestos in buildings of this age” and the “unknown performance” of the material in a fire.
Ms Somerville said the concrete has been detected in 37 schools in Scotland, however the impacted schools are not expected to close while a “desk-based review” is conducted over the coming months.
I can completely appreciate why there is public concern on this— Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville
But 104 schools south of the border have been partially or fully closed following concerns about the material.
Addressing MSPs in Holyrood during topical questions on Tuesday, Ms Somerville said: “This has of course been an issue that the government has been aware of for some time, and that’s why action has been taken, and has been for some time, for example way back in July 2022 Scottish Government officials made contact with the Scottish heads of Property Services and directors of education in Scotland to share information on Raac.”
The Social Justice Secretary also moved to reassure pupils, parents and teachers of where the concrete has been discovered, adding: “I can completely appreciate why there is public concern on this, particularly given the way that announcements have been handled down in England.
“But I can reassure the member that we appreciate that public concern means we need to be as open as possible, as we can be, for this because parents and staff are concerned about this issue.”
Emails released under freedom of information show an unnamed Scottish Government official asking members of Falkirk and Fife councils if “there has been any work done to identify schools with Raac in Scotland?”
The official from Fife responded that West Lothian Council had been dealing with issues relating to Raac, while the Falkirk-based member of staff said they had never heard of the concrete.
Later in the chain, a briefing from West Lothian Council by the authority’s head of finance and property services, which was put before a meeting in June 2021, was attached.
The briefing said nine buildings within the council area had been found to contain Raac, including four primary schools, a secondary school and four community centres.
At the time of the meeting, remedial work was undertaken on six of the properties, while three others were receiving inspections every six months with consideration of works to be made.
In response to Ms Somerville, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP called for a central register of affected buildings.
He said: “Months after I took this issue to the very top of the Scottish Government, there is still no central register of affected buildings, no strategy for the swift and wholesale replacement of this potentially deadly concrete and no national fund for cash-strapped schools, health boards and others landed with it.
“Mitigation and monitoring offers little reassurance when a concrete beam that was marked as safe collapsed, prompting the closure of schools across England.
“Can the Cabinet Secretary say with confidence today that pupils, patients and staff don’t have Raac in the ceilings above them? And is it possible there are classrooms and wards with problem concrete still in use right now?”
