Chamber and committees

Ministers have not met with universities and colleges to discuss RAAC. Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council officials have met on three occasions to discuss this matter, the last meeting of which was held on 5th July.

The Health & Safety Executive, instructed by the UK Government, are developing a research methodology to assist with identification, assessment and remediation of RAAC. We will consider any steps required to be taken to ensure that students are not impacted by any universities or colleges that have to close any of their campus buildings due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

In the meantime, officials are working closely with the Scottish Funding Council in relation to this matter. The Scottish Funding Council is planning to provide guidance, prepared by authoritative organisations, to colleges and universities as soon as possible.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of establishing mechanisms at a Scottish, as well as UK, level to support awareness and action on this issue across many sectors within the built environment.

Discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and mitigation including on funding will be reported to relevant Ministers, directly where necessary, and through the Building and Fire Safety Ministerial Working Group.

Officials continue to work closely with relevant partners including the Scottish Funding Council, other public sector bodies and the wider structural engineering community in relation to this matter, including funding.

Building Regulations in the UK are the responsibility of the UK Government in England, the Welsh Assembly in Wales, the Northern Ireland Executive in Northern Ireland and the Scottish Government in Scotland. Whilst all regulations are similar throughout the UK the key differences in relation to flammable cladding are:

• the ban of flammable cladding in Scotland applies at a lower height of 11m compared with 18m in the rest of the UK; and
• the legislation in England was amended to extend the ban of flammable cladding to hotels, hostels and boarding houses from 1 December 2022.

The next review of fire safety regulations in Scotland is due to commence later this year where we will consider these matters and other relevant developments further.

We do not hold any information on the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete in current social or private housing developments. Building safety is a matter for the building owner, acting in accordance with the relevant legislation.

Building safety is a matter for the owner acting in accordance with the relevant health and safety legislation. Before any decisions can be taken on funding, it is important to understand the scope and nature of the issue.

The Scottish Government continue to engage with public sector and private sector bodies, and we have also received a request for financial support from another local authority.

The Scottish Government has committed to consulting on a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill by the end of this year. The Bill will aim to ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, among others, are respected and protected.

An informal consultation took place last year as part of the scoping work for the Bill. The scoping report is available here: Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill: Scoping Analysis 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The Easy Read version is here: Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill: scoping work analysis 2022 - easy read - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The formal public consultation will provide an opportunity for people across Scotland, including those with Down’s Syndrome and their families and supporters, to express their views on what the draft Bill should include.

The exact timing of the public consultation will be announced in due course.

Scottish Ministers issued National Directions on annual health checks, which state that the Scottish Health Check for Adults with Learning Disabilities documentation must be used in every health check. This documentation was tested and evidenced throughout the pilot phase and provides comprehensive best practice information and guidelines for practitioners, including on the specific health needs of people with Down’s Syndrome. This maintains the consistency and efficacy of each annual health check whilst also enabling practitioners to incorporate the specific health needs of each individual.

The Scottish Government has commissioned NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to support practitioners to complete annual health checks.

The Scottish Government continues to fund Down’s Syndrome Scotland to develop resources and accessible information about annual health checks for people with Down’s Syndrome, their families and carers, and for practitioners.

Territorial NHS Boards have facilities for patients in long term care and provide laundering for those patients where they do not have relatives who can carry it out for them. Patients in an acute care setting are generally advised that they cannot have personal items laundered, but there is some variation between Boards in this regard. Please refer to Health Boards for their individual policies.