Labour demanding answers on unsafe concrete in Scotland

Jackie Baillie is asking for increased disclosure about Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

The Scottish Government confirmed RAAC is present in dozens of schools
Author: Kieran BrandPublished 10th Sep 2023

Labour is demanding answers from Health Secretary Michael Matheson over the extent to which collapse-prone concrete is present in NHS buildings.

The party's health and social care spokesperson, Jackie Baillie, is asking when the Scottish Government was first made aware of the risk of RAAC in NHS buildings, what action was taken when these concerns were first raised and when the survey of buildings first commenced.

Ms Baillie is also calling for Mr Matheson to publish a full list of the buildings being surveyed and says the government must go public if RAAC is found in any of the properties, with a list of buildings affected.

The letter to the Government came as Ms Baillie, said: "Under the SNP the foundations of our NHS are quite literally crumbling.

"For years now people have been sounding the alarm on the presence of Raac in public buildings, but the SNP appear to have been burying their head in the sand.

"They still have no clue what the scale of the problem is and no real plan to fix it.

"Patients and staff must be able to trust that NHS buildings are safe - the Health Secretary must urgently answer these key questions."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Building safety is an issue the Scottish Government takes very seriously and we are fully aware of significant issues with some Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete.

"Reviews of Raac have been conducted by local authorities, NHS Scotland and other public sector organisations for some time so we can all fully understand the scope of Raac including in hospitals.

"In addition we established a cross sector working group on RAAC to ensure action is taken where required so that people are safe and feel safe in buildings."

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