‘Grenfell cladding’ on 44 schools... but they won’t say which ones

Fourteen councils confirm fire-risk material used

FORTY-FOUR Scottish schools contain a cladding linked to the Grenfell Tower disaster – but Holyrood ministers have refused to tell parents which ones.

At least 80 people died in the London tower block inferno last month.

Councils in Scotland have since been investigating the extent of ACM (aluminium composite material) use, with 14 authorities applying it in schools.

The Scottish Government initially failed to reveal which councils used ACM in cladding but was forced into a U-turn.

It later admitted that 44 buildings across the country contain ACM.

So far, however, ministers have refused to bow to pressure to name the schools. An additional 31 schools have used ACM as a ‘finishing material’ rather than in cladding – which the government has not included in its total.

Councils across the country confirmed ACM use in cladding on 1.7 per cent of schools – confined to low rise buildings.

Sixteen are in Dumfries and Galloway, where further inspections are still being carried out, while six are in East Renfrewshire and another half-dozen in West Dunbartonshire. Three schools in South Ayrshire, three in Inverclyde and two in Angus are affected.

Aberdeen, Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Shetland and South Lanarkshire each have one such school, while Scottish Borders Council has yet to respond. Glasgow City Council revealed that as well as Notre

‘Amount meets safety standards’

Dame Primary on the government’s list, an extra 31 schools had used ACM as a ‘finishing material’, ‘less than 0.1 per cent of the exterior fabric’. A spokesman insisted the substance posed no risk, adding: ‘The combination of fire detection and suppression systems, fire-drills and fire evacuation procedures provide a high standard of safety.

‘The amount of ACM building material used is minimal. It is in a small number of schools and complies with safety regulations.’

A number of councils said they are now considering removing cladding or are already going ahead despite maintaining there is little risk. The government has faced widespread criticism over its lack of detail. Dundee and Glasgow led the way in revealing they were among the 14.

Tory housing spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘This is not something that the SNP should hush up. People have a right to know which councils are involved. We also need to know what is being done about it.’

Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley said: ‘It is not acceptable to keep that information secret, as it will simply lead to concern.’

A government spokesman said: ‘Local authorities are responsible for ensuring safety of school buildings in their areas. If there is a need to inform parents and pupils on any aspect of school safety it is for the council to do so.

‘Schools across Scotland are currently closed for holidays and all checks carried out are precautionary to ensure building materials have been correctly used.’

No Scottish council-owned school buildings above 60ft have ACM cladding.

The Ministerial Working Group on building and fire safety held its third meeting on Thursday.