The government found 450 properties across its estate constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, government chief property officer Mark Chivers has revealed.
A cross-government inquiry into the prevalence of RAAC across the government estate was launched in June 2023 after the Department for Education found that more than 150 schools had buildings at risk of collapse because they are made from RAAC that had exceeded its 30-year lifespan.
Departments were asked to identify which of their properties contain the crumbling concrete and to share best practice for mitigating risk, with a central register of affected government buildings set up.
Asked about this work at a Public Accounts Committee session on the condition of government property yesterday, Chivers said: "We moved really quickly and the departments moved really quickly to assess the situation and find out that we've got 450 properties across the whole government estate with RAAC in and [we] put together the mitigation plans for that.”
Chivers was also asked about the impact the RAAC crisis has had on the Office for Government Property – the Cabinet Office unit he leads, which is responsible for strategy across the government-wide property portfolio and its ability to get other work done.
PAC member Lloyd Hatton, the Labour MP for South Dorset, said he understood there was “a massive diversion of civil service resources [to deal with the crisis]”.
Chivers said: “That is fair. Without a doubt, it was a diversion. In a funny way, it was also a bit of a benefit. It gave our convening power and credibility in the centre for actually pulling that together quite a benefit in the moment and subsequently.”
He said the crisis also “raised the profile” of the condition of government property.