I share 100 per cent the public's concern about the disruption to students, teachers, and parents at schools, colleges, and maintained nursery schools that occupy buildings constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Let me first update you on our local situation in Cheshire.

There are 82 schools for which Cheshire West & Chester Council is responsible.

Surveyors assessed these before 2022, and they did not find any RAAC. The council is now conducting further assessments due to the imposition of more stringent criteria by the UK Government, with 26 surveys already underway, and another 14 to follow.

Cheshire East Council has undertaken a detailed review of its maintained schools, which involved more than 40 specialist site surveys. Surveyors found no evidence of RAAC.

Both councils are supporting academy schools in reviewing their buildings, and these schools are working directly with the Department for Education to provide this information.

I hope this provides residents with some reassurance, along with the fact that all Cheshire schools will remain open.

This means we will not see further damaging disruption to learning so soon after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on pupils' continuity of education.

You will remember that after a long campaign by myself and others, Leighton Hospital - constructed primarily using RAAC - will be given a new lease of life through a complete rebuild, crucial to protecting patient and staff safety.

As part of the New Hospital Programme, Leighton will see the building of common clinical departments - including in-patient wards, accident and emergency departments, operating theatre blocks, and maternity services - and the scale and predictability of our needs will encourage investment in new capabilities, driving economic growth, and creating new high-skill jobs.

But Cheshire does not exist in isolation, and my constituents will have concerns about their loved ones elsewhere in the country.

The Department for Education has been advising schools with buildings confirmed by a surveyor as containing RAAC to close those buildings until they have been made safe. This is a necessary and prudent step to protect pupils while implementing adequate mitigations.  

Support is being made available for these schools, and the Department for Education will fund the capital costs associated with making these buildings safe - not local authorities.

Whilst this is a tough decision, the UK Government has been proactive in addressing this issue - in sharp contrast to the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales - and has been updating guidance and prioritising the welfare of students ahead of the new term.

Their safety is paramount, as is that of the committed teachers and staff working hard to set them up for a fulfilling life.

Fortunately, like ours in Cheshire, the vast majority of schools are unaffected, and children should attend school as usual this term, unless parents hear differently from local school leaders.

Once again, I hope this alleviates any concerns you may have about this crucial issue, and that you have found this update both frank and informative.