Local authorities publish RAAC data

Inspections carried out by local authorities have shown that, at present, there are 16 council areas which have identified schools as containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). 

Local authorities have responsibility to ensure schools are safe for pupils, staff and all their users, and are carrying out inspections of school buildings to identify the presence of RAAC. Ministers have been clear to local authorities that those must be carried out as a matter of the highest priority and have offered assistance to councils in the matter where appropriate. 

Where RAAC has been identified, Councils have assured the Scottish Government that mitigations are in place in accordance with guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers. 

The schools currently impacted are in the following council areas: 

• Aberdeen City
• Aberdeenshire
• Argyll and Bute
• City of Edinburgh
• Dumfries and Galloway
• Dundee City
• East Ayrshire
• East Lothian
• Glasgow City
• Highland
• Inverclyde
• Moray
• North Ayrshire
• North Lanarkshire
• Perth and Kinross
• West Lothian

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said:  

“The Scottish Government has been actively engaging with local authority partners, who have statutory responsibility for school buildings in Scotland, for some time.  

“It is important that there is transparency around the schools where RAAC has been identified and mitigations in place. Local authorities were asked to publish by today the data relating to impacted schools in their area given the seriousness of this issue and to ensure this data is freely available. I hope this provides reassurance to parents, carers, staff and pupils who may be concerned about the presence of RAAC in their learning facilities. I also expect the local authorities still to publish to do so as a matter of urgency. 

“Currently half of Scotland’s local authorities have identified RAAC in schools.  COSLA has confirmed that safety is their central consideration and that there is robust guidance that is followed by every local authority to ensure that those buildings are safe to be in for pupils, staff and the public. This is in line with the existing guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers who have advised us they do not believe there is sufficient grounds to update their advice."

Background 

Further details can be found by contacting the relevant local authority:

Aberdeen City - RAAC concrete and schools | Aberdeen City Council   

Aberdeenshire - Publications - Aberdeenshire Council

City of Edinburgh - RAAC – The City of Edinburgh Council 

Dumfries and Galloway - Use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in public buildings - Dumfries and Galloway Council (dumgal.gov.uk)  

Dundee City - Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) | Dundee City Council  

East Ayrshire - Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) (east-ayrshire.gov.uk)  

East Lothian - Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) | East Lothian Council 

Glasgow City - RAAC concrete and schools - Glasgow City Council 

Highland - Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) | School Estate Management | The Highland Council  

North Ayrshire - RAAC (north-ayrshire.gov.uk)  

North Lanarkshire - Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) | North Lanarkshire Council   

Perth and Kinross - Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) - Perth & Kinross Council (pkc.gov.uk)  

West Lothian - RAAC update - West Lothian Council 

At the time of issuing, the below local authorities were expected to announce details imminently: 

• Argyll & Bute
• Inverclyde
• Moray 

Social Justice Secretary Statement to Parliament on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)