The Treasury rejected attempts to secure funding for the full 10 years of the current school rebuilding programme amid concern about RAAC, a former minister has claimed.
Lord Agnew, who as academies minister between 2017 and 2020 was responsible for school capital spending, told GB News he had “probably 10 meetings with the Treasury” to try to “get them to give me a long-term envelope” but “they wouldn’t do it”.
The claims will put further pressure on the government amid criticism of inaction over the dangers of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the school estate, which has now resulted in the partial closure of at least 147 schools.
Rishi Sunak was accused last week of cutting school rebuilding funding despite warnings over a “critical risk to life” when he was chancellor by former DfE boss Jonathan Slater.
