MPs lash out at ministers' handling of schools concrete crisis and claim 'absolute catastrophe' was only averted through 'sheer luck'

MPs have lashed out at the Government's handling of the concrete crisis in schools with claims an 'absolute catastrophe' had only been averted through 'sheer luck'. St Leonard's Catholic School, Durham, is among those to have been disrupted by substandard reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete A taped off section inside Parks Primary School, Leicester, which has been affected by the presence of 'crumbly' concrete MPs hit out at the at the 'shocking and disappointing' lack of basic information provided by the Gillian Keegan's Department for Education about the crisis Labour MP Dame Meg Hillier, the PAC chair, claimed an 'absolute catastrophe' with Raac had been 'averted through sheer luck' In their new report, titled The Condition Of School Buildings, the PAC said it was 'extremely concerned' that DfE did 'not have a good enough understanding of the risks in school buildings to keep children and staff safe'. The cross-party group of MPs also said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan's department was unable to tell its inquiry how many surveys to identify Raac were outstanding. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at the National Association of Head Teachers, said: 'It beggars belief that nearly three months after the Government's belated, panicked crisis response to the Raac situation, schools and parents still cannot have confidence that ministers understand or have a plan to deal with the full extent of risks posed by deteriorating school buildings.'