One sentence summary – Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, is facing allegations of ignoring warnings about a “critical risk to life” in crumbling schools, as a whistleblower claims he was part of a decision to reduce spending on school repairs despite safety concerns, sparking controversy and demands for transparency from the Labour Party.
At a glance
- Rishi Sunak is facing allegations of ignoring warnings about a “critical risk to life” in crumbling schools.
- A whistleblower claims that Sunak was part of a decision to reduce spending on school repairs despite warnings about potential danger to students.
- Prime Minister Boris Johnson denies that Sunak is responsible for the lack of funding for school rebuilding.
- Officials knew about the need to rebuild 300-400 schools per year during Sunak’s tenure, but funding was only provided for 100 schools per year.
- The Labour Party has criticized Sunak for his role in the school rebuilding program cuts and is demanding transparency regarding the number of affected schools.
The details
Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, is facing allegations of ignoring warnings about a “critical risk to life” in crumbling schools.
A whistleblower from the Department for Education has claimed that Sunak was part of a decision to reduce spending on school repairs.
This decision was made despite warnings about the potential danger to students.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has denied that Sunak is responsible for the lack of funding for school rebuilding.
Jonathan Slater, the former permanent secretary at the Department for Education, stated that officials knew about the need to rebuild 300-400 schools per year during Sunak’s tenure.
However, the Treasury only provided funding for 100 schools per year.
This number was later reduced to 50, despite the department’s request for funding for 200 schools due to safety concerns.
Slater expressed frustration at Sunak’s decision and highlighted the critical risk to life if the rebuilding program was not funded.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies reported that capital spending on schools is 50% below its 2010 peak.
The Department for Education calculated that it needed £5.3 billion per year from 2021 to 2025 for school maintenance and risk mitigation.
However, it was allocated only £3.1 billion per year by HM Treasury.
Millions of pupils are returning to school despite concerns that thousands of buildings are at risk of collapse due to crumbling concrete.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has promised to publish a list of affected schools.
The Labour Party has criticized Sunak for his role in the school rebuilding program cuts.
They have called for transparency regarding the number of affected schools.
The Labour Party has also launched an attack ad claiming that Sunak does not prioritize school safety.
According to the National Audit Office, spending on school rebuilding dropped by 41% after Sunak became Chancellor.
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight form of concrete used in construction, has been identified as a potential danger in schools.
Labour plans to force the government to release written advice given to the Prime Minister about crumbling concrete in schools when he was chancellor.
Over 100 schools in England have been partially or fully shut due to concerns over RAAC.
Rishi Sunak, the current Chancellor, has been implicated in the issue after a schools minister claimed that the Prime Minister approved the rebuilding of 50 schools per year while rejecting an application for 200 schools to receive the same treatment.
Labour intends to use a parliamentary mechanism called a humble address motion to demand papers from government departments.
They want to find out what Sunak knew about the construction problems in the education sector.
They also want to see all related correspondence prior to the 2020 and 2021 spending reviews and the 2022 spring and autumn statements.
This is to determine what advice Sunak received as chancellor regarding the need to replace RAAC.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson accuses Sunak of slashing budgets for school rebuilding against the advice of officials.
She holds the Prime Minister directly responsible for the crisis in schools.
Schools minister Nick Gibb suggested that the Prime Minister prioritized other issues over increasing funding to fix schools when he was chancellor in 2021.
The Department for Education has admitted that only four schools have been rebuilt so far under the program to overhaul 500 sites by 2030.
Sunak has used this to defend his actions.
Former DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater accuses the Prime Minister of refusing to fully fund a program to rebuild schools and halving its size when he was in the Treasury.
Sunak denies these claims and defends his record.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan defends the Prime Minister’s actions.
She highlights the government’s investment in schools since 2015, as well as the increase in capital spending this year.
She criticizes Labour’s schools funding program as poorly targeted and complex.
The allegations against Rishi Sunak regarding the lack of funding for school rebuilding, despite warnings about the risk to students’ lives, have sparked controversy.
The Labour Party is demanding transparency and intends to force the release of written advice given to the Prime Minister during his time as Chancellor.
Concerns over RAAC in schools and the closure of affected buildings have further fueled the debate.
The government and opposition parties differ in their interpretation of events, with accusations of budget cuts and conflicting claims about the Prime Minister’s actions.
The situation highlights the need for increased funding and attention to school infrastructure to ensure the safety and well-being of students.
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| independent.co.uk |
|---|
| – Rishi Sunak, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, is facing allegations that he ignored warnings about the “critical risk to life” posed by crumbling schools. – |
| A whistleblower at the Department for Education claimed that Sunak was involved in a decision to cut spending on school repairs despite being informed about the danger to students. – |
| The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has denied that Sunak is to blame for the lack of funding for school rebuilding. – Jonathan Slater, the former permanent secretary at the Department for Education, stated that officials were aware of the need to rebuild 300-400 schools per year during Sunak’s tenure. – |
| The Treasury only provided funding for 100 schools per year, which was later reduced to 50, despite the department’s request for 200 schools for safety reasons. – Slater expressed frustration at the decision made by Sunak and emphasized the critical risk to life if the rebuilding program was not funded. – The Institute for Fiscal Studies reported that capital spending on schools is 50% below its 2010 peak. – |
| The Department for Education calculated that it needed £5.3 billion per year from 2021 to 2025 for school maintenance and risk mitigation, but was allocated only £3.1 billion per year by HM Treasury. – Millions of pupils are returning to school despite concerns that thousands of buildings are at risk of collapse due to crumbling concrete. |
| – Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has promised to publish a list of affected schools. |
| – Labour has criticized Sunak for his role in the school rebuilding program cuts and called for transparency regarding the number of affected schools. |
| – Labour has launched an attack ad claiming that Sunak does not prioritize school safety. |
| – Spending on school rebuilding dropped by 41% after Sunak became Chancellor, according to figures from the National Audit Office. |
| – Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lightweight form of concrete used in construction, has been identified as a potential danger in schools. |
| independent.co.uk |
|---|
| – Labour plans to force the government to release written advice given to the Prime Minister about crumbling concrete in schools when he was chancellor. – Over 100 schools in England have been partially or fully shut due to concerns over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). |
| – Rishi Sunak, the current Chancellor, has been implicated in the issue after a schools minister claimed that the Prime Minister approved the rebuilding of 50 schools per year while rejecting an application for 200 schools to receive the same treatment. – |
| Labour intends to use a parliamentary mechanism called a humble address motion to demand papers from government departments and find out what Sunak knew about the construction problems in the education sector. – |
| The Labour Party will demand the publication of evidence submitted by the Department for Education (DfE) to No 10 and the Treasury regarding the crisis. |
| – They also want to see all related correspondence prior to the 2020 and 2021 spending reviews and the 2022 spring and autumn statements to determine what advice Sunak received as chancellor regarding the need to replace Raac. |
| – Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson accuses Sunak of slashing budgets for school rebuilding against the advice of officials, holding the Prime Minister directly responsible for the crisis in schools. |
| – Schools minister Nick Gibb suggested that the Prime Minister prioritized other issues over increasing funding to fix schools when he was chancellor in 2021. – |
| The DfE has admitted that only four schools have been rebuilt so far under the program to overhaul 500 sites by 2030, which Sunak has used to defend his actions. – Former DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater accuses the Prime Minister of refusing to fully fund a program to rebuild schools and halving its size when he was in the Treasury. – Sunak denies these claims and defends his record. – Education Secretary Gillian Keegan defends the Prime Minister’s actions and highlights the government’s investment in schools since 2015, as well as the increase in capital spending this year. |
| She criticizes Labour’s schools funding program as poorly targeted and complex. |
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