Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 July 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported number of school buildings containing asbestos, and how many have had asbestos removed in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.
The Scottish Government does not hold information regarding how many schools have had asbestos removed in the last three years. Local authorities have statutory responsibility for the control and management of asbestos within their schools.
Although health and safety is not devolved to the Scottish Government, we take the issue of asbestos within schools very seriously and expect local authorities to strictly follow the Health and Safety Executive's recommendations. Moreover, we have recently engaged with local authorities and the Health and Safety Executive regarding asbestos in schools.