Member

I am not sure whether I have forgotten to mention anything; I am looking round the Room in case I have forgotten something. I hope that that has given to noble Lords enough. There is just one thing: my noble friend Lady Donaghy mentioned asbestos in schools, which is really interesting. To reassure noble Lords on this point, the DfE expects all local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with our legal duties and drawing on appropriate advice. The DfE is also increasing investment in the next financial year to £2.1 billion in order to improve the condition of school buildings; that is on top of the school rebuilding programme, which is replacing or refurbishing buildings in the poorest condition—more than 500 schools. When the DfE is notified of a significant safety issue with a school building that cannot be managed with local resources, it will provide additional support on a case-by-case basis.