National fund needed to pay bill for Raac repairs, Liberal Democrats insist

The Scottish Government is being challenged to set up a national fund to help councils deal with the costs of collapse-prone concrete.

Liberal Democrats insisted it is “entirely unsustainable” for ministers to leave public bodies such as councils and health boards to fund repair works linked to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

Party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, who has raised the issue at Holyrood, called on Scottish ministers to provide “meaningful financial assistance” with repairs.

He made the plea as Liberal Democrats prepare to discuss a motion at their party conference calling for both the Scottish and UK governments to provide “sufficient funding to enable public sector remedial works to be carried out” by both councils and health authorities.

It emerged in October that 40 schools and more than 250 NHS buildings in Scotland are believed to have some form of Raac in them.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said then that a final assessment of the cost to the public purse had not yet been made, as she called on the UK Government to provide more money.

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Liberal Democrats conference in Edinburgh on Saturday, Mr Cole-Hamilton accused the Scottish Government of having “dragged their heels” when responding to Raac.

He added: “It’s entirely unsustainable for cash-strapped local authorities, health boards and more to bear the costs of these works alone.  

“That means setting up a national fund for works going forward and compensating authorities who have already had to pay out.”

Councillor Sally Pattle, who will speak out about the issue at the conference on Saturday, said: “Councils and health boards are grappling with the presence of potentially dangerous concrete across scores of public buildings.

“Some councils, like West Lothian, have already begun works for tackling Raac, but so far that has all been self-funded.

“The bill for just a handful of projects is already eye-watering.

“To ensure both public confidence and community safety, it’s time for the Scottish Government to do the right thing and provide financial support without delay.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We will give consideration to requests for funding to make good any buildings affected by RAAC issues, but it is first imperative that we first understand the scope and nature of what we are dealing with.

“The Scottish Government has increased the resources available to local government in 2023-24 by more than £793 million, a real-terms increase of £376 million or 3%, compared to the 2022-23 Budget figures.

“This is an issue the Scottish Government takes very seriously and the safety of those who use public buildings is the central consideration.

“Reviews of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in property are being conducted by building owners including local authorities, NHS Scotland and other public sector organisations.”