A list of schools in Scotland with collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) will be published by the end of this week, Humza Yousaf said as he vowed to “spend what we need to spend” to ensure affected buildings are safe.
The First Minister conceded the Scottish Government does not have contingency funding available to deal with remedial works.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Wednesday, he said: “We don’t have contingencies within the Government to spend on RAAC.
“But we will of course spend what we need to spend in order to ensure that our buildings are safe for those that use them.”
The Scottish Government has already confirmed RAAC has been detected in 37 schools in Scotland, but these buildings are not expected to close while a “desk-based review” is conducted over the coming months.
In contrast, 104 schools south of the border have so far been partially or fully closed following concerns about the material.
Yousaf vowed that the Scottish Government will work with organisations including local councils and health boards where RAAC is detected in public buildings.
He said: “What I am committed to doing is ensuring there is transparency around this and my intention would be by the end of this week to publish, and work with those who have the information to ensure that information is publicly available, around the schools that have been affected.”
He added that where information about mitigation works can be published, it will be important to do so “to ensure there is a good level of public confidence around the action that is taken”.
Figures shared with the PA news agency from 14 of the 32 local authorities in Scotland show at least 33 schools across the country have been found to have the potentially dangerous material.
City of Edinburgh Council currently has the highest number of affected schools with RAAC, with eight known to have the material.
Trinity Primary School and Cramond Primary School have temporary accommodation blocks set up, a council spokesperson said, while other pupils are still in their own classrooms.
Aberdeen City Council has seven schools with the material, while West Lothian Council said RAAC is present in five schools – St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, Balbardie Primary School and Windyknowe Primary in Bathgate and Riverside Primary and Knightsridge Primary in Livingston.
A spokesperson said all areas with the material in its roofs have been closed, with pupils and staff relocated to other areas.
Dundee, Aberdeenshire and Highland councils each said RAAC has been found in two of its schools.
Moray, Inverclyde, Perth and Kinross, North Lanarkshire, and Argyll and Bute councils all reported one school each with RAAC.
Perth and Kinross Council also said RAAC was found in one property, Perth Grammar School, in February.
The affected area was closed to pupils and staff until the panels could be removed over the summer holidays and replaced with a steel profile roof.
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