The existence of potentially dangerous crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is the subject of an investigation at the Houses of Parliament, and the government has issued an order that schools throughout the country be closed as a result.
According to claims that were published in The Telegraph, surveyors are looking into the possibility that RAAC is concealed inside the structural components of any part of the parliamentary estate.
It is simply the most recent public place to have to go through emergency repairs because there were concerns about the concrete falling.
Bloomberg was the first news organization to break the story, which comes just after NHS England made a precautionary request for building studies from all of the nation’s hospitals. To help fix the problem, about 700 million pounds sterling have been put aside.
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The second half of the 20th century saw the widespread use of RAAC, which is a technique for increasing the volume of concrete by mixing it with gas and other components. There is just a window of opportunity of 30 to 40 years before the material begins to deteriorate.
Although there is no centralized record that lays out where it has been employed, Downing Street has said that there are presently no plans to release a complete list of public buildings that contain the material. However, there is also no record that sets out where it has been used.
Jeremy Quin, who works at the Cabinet Office, has been given the responsibility of organizing an inquiry into the possible existence of RAAC in other government sites across all agencies.
If the crumbling concrete is found within the Houses of Parliament, it will be the most recent in a long series of maintenance problems that have been documented there. Due to a crack in the glass roof, water was able to enter the atrium of the Portcullis House building in the month of July.
According to a report that was distributed earlier this year by the Commons public accounts committee, the possibility of a fire occurring at “constant” intervals as well as the presence of asbestos have both been cited as sources of worry. The committee voiced their disapproval of the “years of procrastination” that occurred before to the construction of the building.
Rishi Sunak gave an assurance to the Cabinet on Tuesday that they are doing “everything possible to minimise disruption” at schools where the materials have been identified. The government has come under growing pressure for how it has handled the issue.
Wera Hobhouse, the shadow leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons, said that there is no greater symbol for the Conservative government’s care of the country than the fact that surveyors are presently examining whether or not Parliament itself is in risk of collapsing. “There is no better emblem for the Conservative government’s stewardship of the nation,” she added.
The ministers have “failed miserably” at every moment throughout this genuine crisis because they are “out of depth,” “out of touch,” and “out of ideas.” Because of the Conservatives, Britain is in ruins, and the Conservatives’ refusal to accept responsibility for this is a slap in the face to everyone who has been affected as a result of their actions.
An employee from the House of Commons has been quoted as saying, “Routine ongoing in-house investigations are currently taking place to determine whether any parts of the parliamentary estate have RAAC.”
