Question reference: S6W-22080
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Date lodged: 6 October 2023
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 October 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many qualified engineers and assessors there currently are in Scotland who are able to ascertain whether reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete is present in a building, and whether it is able to determine how high the demand for these engineers and assessors currently is.
Answer
There is no specific qualification required to investigate and confirm the presence of RAAC in a building. The Institution of Structural Engineers note on their website that: “Identification can be undertaken by an experienced estate/ maintenance manager/ or building owner”.
It is recommended that the investigation and assessment of RAAC, once identified, should be undertaken by a suitably competent structural engineer.
Issues of RAAC competence and capacity building were discussed at the Cross-Sector Working Group meeting of 22 September. Minutes from that meeting are published on The Scottish Government Website at: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC): Cross Sector Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .