Schools, hospitals and public buildings in Scotland are being assessed for collapse-risk concrete after the UK Government confirmed it will close more than 100 buildings due to the potentially harmful material.

Pupils at 104 schools in England are to be placed in temporary accommodation due to concerns about the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

The Scottish Government has now confirmed that work is under way to assess the scope of the presence of the potentially dangerous type of concrete that can collapse without warning.

Ministers had said in July this year that a survey, estimated to take six to eight months, was underway of 254 NHS Scotland buildings that "have two or more characteristics which are consistent with the presence of RAAC".

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NHS Scotland warned the material is potentially vulnerable to "catastrophic failure without warning" as it issued a Safety Action Notice in February and completed a "desktop survey" of its estate in June.

RAAC is a lightweight concrete used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s which is being assessed after it was linked to the collapse of the roof at Singlewell Primary School in Kent in 2018.

The Scottish Government has confirmed work is under way to fully understand the presence of RAAC across the school estate in Scotland, with local authorities expected to prioritise remedial work.

It said full reports from all local authorities are expected "this week" while spokesperson for the government said it was an issue "the Scottish Government takes very seriously".

Figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats in May revealed the substance was present in at least 37 schools in Scotland.

The data showed the light and bubbly form of precast concrete was present in nine schools in Dumfries and Galloway, seven in Aberdeen, six in Clackmannanshire and five in West Lothian.

Two schools in Dundee, the Highlands and North Lanarkshire were also found to contain the material, as well as single schools in Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, East Lothian and Perth and Kinross.

Across the NHS estate, sites such as Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow have been identified as buildings that could contain RAAC.

NHS Grampian had the most buildings that could potentially contain RAAC, with 53 identified by the health board, followed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde with 44 and NHS Lothian with 35.

NHS Highland identified 25 potentially affected buildings, while NHS Fife had 22. NHS Forth Valley reported eight and NHS Borders seven.

The material was widely used in public buildings and has been found in Scottish hospitals, schools and police stations.

Any repairs would be expected to come at a considerable cost.

In a question to the Scottish Government in July this year, the Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton asked whether RAAC was present in any Scottish Government buildings.

In response, the government said it had not undertaken an inspection in the core Scottish Government estate since 2021 but added that a "specialist has been appointed to support the development of a scope to undertake building inspection surveys".

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Guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers instructs the material to be replaced only if it is deemed to be in a poor condition and is considered a high risk, otherwise it can be managed in place.

The Scottish Government said local authorities are currently undertaking reviews of the presence of RAAC in public buildings in Scotland, including schools and hospitals.

It said that where it is found, remedial work could include the closure of impacted rooms or sections of the building and the use of temporary, modular provision for pupils to ensure the continuity of education.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We have received returns for the majority of the school estate and expect to have full returns from all local authorities this week.

"For those schools where RAAC is found, appropriate mitigation plans have and will be put in place to ensure the safety of pupils and staff. Ministers are clear that they expect local authorities to prioritise this work.

"We issued guidance and background on Raac to the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland and Scottish Heads of Property Services networks.

"We will continue to work closely with all those bodies in responding to the challenge."