Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment for the presence of asbestos is made prior to the purchasing and occupation of a previous industrial building for conversion into a free school.

Edward Timpson

We instruct building surveys prior to the acquisition of all buildings that we are intending to convert into free schools. Where necessary, we commission further surveys, including asbestos surveys, where risks highlighted in the building survey warrant further investigation.

Ahead of any acquisition we‎ also ask sellers for their Building and Health and Safety files to determine the level of statutory compliance, which includes meeting the control of asbestos regulations.

If we wish to proceed with the transaction and our initial assessment highlights any quality issues or gaps in compliance, our due diligence arrangements and budgets are tailored accordingly, in advance of completing the transaction.

When construction works are planned in an industrial building with known asbestos, an asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey is undertaken to assess if the asbestos should be removed, encapsulated or left in-situ. This is according to material type, location, condition and the extent of works to be undertaken to the existing building.

For any sites with known asbestos, a management strategy identifying the asbestos location is handed over to the occupier. They are then responsible for complying with statutory regulations for the management of asbestos.