Five key takeaways from todaypublished at 20:00 British Summer Time 1 September 2023
After yesterday's announcement that more than 150 schools in England needed to urgently address the presence of unstable concrete known as RAAC in their buildings, today has brought some clarity on the scale of the situation.
Here's what we've learned:
- Buildings at more than 50 schools in England could be at risk of sudden collapse. As many as two dozen schools will be closed entirely. No comprehensive list has been published but we are keeping track here
- The urgent action being taken in England has triggered concern in Scotland, Wales and NorthernIreland
- The UK government has said it will fund the cost of temporary buildings on sites of schools forced to close
- The directive for schools to close down was triggered by a concrete beam - which showed no sign of being unsafe - collapsing in a school over the summer
- Other public buildings including courts and hospitals were also constructed using RAAC, and many are also in need of remedial work or repair
We're going to end our live coverage here, but there's plenty more: