Education secretary says others ‘sat on their a***’ over RAAC crisis | UK News
The education secretary has been caught on camera saying others ‘sat on their a***’ over the crumbling concrete crisis gripping UK schools.
Gillian Keegan had just finished filming an ITV News interview this morning and the camera was being repositioned for extra shots, when the MP voiced her frustrations.
Still wearing her microphone, she asked those in the room: ‘Does anyone ever say, “You know what, you’ve done a f****** good job,” because everyone else has sat on their a*** and done nothing?
‘No signs of that, no?’
In a follow-up interview Ms Keegan apologised for her ‘choice language’ and said it was an ‘off-the-cuff remark’.
She insisted it was ‘no-one in particular’ she was blaming, though indicated she was frustrated with those who have not responded to questionnaires asking whether their schools have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their school building.
She explained: ‘It is frustrating because we’re doing everything now to take a leading position to be on the front foot to put of all the support in place that responsible bodies and schools need.
‘It’s also frustrating that we’ve got some questionnaires that still are not there, we’ve been chasing and chasing them, we’ve written again today to say you need to get your questionnaires in by the end of the week.’
Ms Keegan gave a number of interviews earlier today after it was confirmed there could be hundreds more schools affected by the concrete crisis.
She told the BBC around 1,500 schools have not yet returned their surveys to say whether they had RAAC in their building.
The Department for Education (DfE) ordered more than 100 schools to partially or fully close on Thursday because their buildings were made using RAAC, which is at greater risk of sudden collapse – right before the start of the new school year.
What is RAAC?
RAAC is a lightweight building material used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s, but now assessed to be at risk of collapse.
It’s a ‘bubbly’ form of concrete usually found in roofs and occasionally in walls and floors.
It looks like normal concrete, but it’s weaker and less durable. RAAC was favoured in construction projects because of its lightweight thermal properties.
Experts say the building material is less durable than reinforced concrete and deteriorates over time, so is susceptible to sudden failure.
RAAC is also prone to collapse when wet – which can happen if a building’s roof leaks.
It has a life expectancy of little more than 30 years and this means buildings constructed from the 1950s to the 1990s that have not been checked by structural engineers are at risk of collapse.
During the ITV News interview today, Ms Keegan said the government had been ‘really super cautious’ when it made the decision.
She added: ‘Anything that’s not critical, we’re going to treat as critical.’
Ms Keegan was caught saying moments later: ‘It’s very important that it’s done properly, but we’re the only ones who’ve done it.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said ministers appeared to be attempting to ‘pass the buck’ for school building closures caused by the concrete issue.
Asked by broadcasters in Westminster about Ms Keegan’s remarks, he said: ‘I think this whole situation is descending into farce.
‘The government has dropped the ball here, failed to prepare. The prime minister bears responsibility for some of the key decisions along the way.
‘And instead of coming out today and saying, “This is what we’re going to do to fix the problem, which we have made a lot worse,” you’ve got members of the cabinet coming out trying to blame other people, trying to blame people within their own teams and to say, essentially, “Put responsibility anywhere but on the government”.
‘That is not what Britain deserves.
‘And obviously what is now being said shows the extent to which there is this passing the buck within the cabinet. Is Rishi Sunak strong enough to do anything about it? I doubt it.’
Asked whether Ms Keegan should remain in post following her unguarded comments, Sir Keir said that was the prime minister’s decision to make.
Downing Street later said it was right that Ms Keegan had apologised.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘I think that the language used obviously is not acceptable. It is right that the education secretary has apologised for that.
‘But at the front of parents’ minds will be the situation in their schools and I think that is what they will want to hear more about.’
Thousands of pupils will be affected by the RAAC disruption over the coming months with many having to learn from home like during the pandemic, while others will be relocated.
Labour says it will force a vote in the House of Commons to ensure the full list of affected schools is published.
Mr Sunak has been criticised for allegedly refusing to fully fund a schools rebuilding programme in 2021 when he was chancellor.
He has described the accusations as ‘completely and utterly wrong’.
The DfE has been considering RAAC as a potential issue since late 2018.
National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said: ‘It is absolutely disgraceful, and a sign of gross government incompetence, that a few days before the start of term, 104 schools are finding out that some or all of their buildings are unsafe and cannot be used.’
The DfE have been contacted for comment.
Seven hospitals in England have also been deemed unfit due to being built using RAAC.
Among them is West Suffolk hospital, where the main building has been deemed a ‘catastrophic’ failure. It has a ‘likely’ risk of collapse according to a document produced after an assessment that was carried out in April.
It concluded that a collapse would cause a ‘loss of life and/or a major injury’.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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