Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Accepted
Asbestos risk higher in schools due to shared occupancy; oversight concerns raised
Conclusion
In its written submission, NAHT (the school leadership union) emphasised that shared occupancy of school buildings by adults and young people can lead to a higher risk of asbestos disturbance than in other workplaces, and that even normal school activities can routinely disturb asbestos. It concluded that this leads to increased risk for everyone in the school environment. NAHT also expressed its concern that oversight of asbestos via the CDC2 programme would not be as detailed as in the survey launched in 2018, and would therefore not provide the same level of transparency.38 32 UK Parliament, School and Colleges update, 19 September 2023 33 Department for Education, Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC): management information, 19 October 2023 34 September 2023 session, Qq 115, 127 35 Committee of Public Accounts, Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts 2019/20, Forty-Seventh Report of Session 2021–22, HC 994, 25 March 2022, pages 6–7 36 HM Treasury, Government Response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Forty-Third to the Forty-Eighth report from Session 2021–22, CP 678, May 2022, page 28 37 July 2023 session, Qq 26–27, 47–48; Correspondence from DfE to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, 7 September 2023 38 TSB0002, NAHT, The condition of school buildings, 13 July 2023 The condition of school buildings 15
Government Response Summary
The government outlines its ongoing approach to asbestos management through legal duties, HSE regulation, published guidance, and the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme, which is collecting data from state-funded schools and is expected to be completed by 2026. It doesn't specifically address the concern about CDC2's detail compared to previous surveys.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2026 5.2 The department takes the safety of children and those who work with them incredibly seriously – which is why it expects all local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties. 5.3 Asbestos management in schools and other buildings is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The Health and Safety Executive advises that, as long as asbestos-containing materials are in good condition, well protected, and unlikely to be damaged or disturbed, it is usually safer to manage them in place. 5.4 The department has published guidance on effective management of asbestos in schools. The department previously run an Asbestos Management Assurance Process (AMAP) - a survey launched in March 2018 to understand the steps schools and those responsible for their estate were taking to manage asbestos. The AMAP survey has now been incorporated into the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme, which will collect data on every state funded school in England. CDC2 is in train and as of the end of January 2024, 631 (42.3%) of non-responders to AMAP had been visited, reducing the number of non-responders from 1,491 (6.7%) to 860 (3.9%). The full dataset will be available by 2026. 5.5 The department has, and continues to, share any concerning data on schools with HSE which is responsible for setting the policy and regulations for schools on asbestos management and compliance – and which undertakes its own investigations of schools, and issues warnings notices or stronger sanctions, where necessary. 5.6 The department also, in collaboration with HSE and Regional teams, continues to follow up with AMAP non-responders and any concerning practice through CDC2. CDC2 is expected to be completed in 2026 when a final set of asbestos data and conclusions will be available.