No extra money to fund school repairs, says Treasury despite Hunt's promise to 'spend what it takes'

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It is understood that money for repairing school buildings at risk of collapse will come from the existing Department of Education (DfE) capital budget.< /p>

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt vowed on Sunday to “spend what it takes” to make classrooms safe after many classrooms were forced to close at the start of the new legislature due to concerns about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

The Chancellor moved this weekend. to reassure parents that a 'thorough process' has been carried out to identify any unsafe buildings, as ministers are accused of failing to act quickly enough to mitigate the risks raised in 2018.

< p>Speaking on BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg. , Mr Hunt did not speculate on the potential cost of solving the problem, but said: "We will spend what it takes to ensure that children can go to school safely, yes."< /p>

Treasury sources later said the cost of repairs could be managed through the DfE's existing capital budget.

The government has asked over 100 schools and colleges to close or partially close their buildings following the recent collapse of a beam previously thought to be safe.< /p>

Schools Minister Nick Gibb has admitted that more classrooms may be forced to close and Mr Hunt confirmed on Sunday that further structural problems could emerge in the 'weeks or months' to come.

The Chancellor said Education Secretary Gillian Keegan had 'acted immediately' after that new information emerged over the summer about the potential risk of Raac, a lightweight material used until the mid-1990s.

Questions remain about the extent of the problem. has been complicated by the co-existence of asbestos in schools and other public buildings.

Speaking on Sunday, the Chancellor said the government would act "whether it is Raac or the problem asbestos", pledging to "do what it takes to keep children safe".

He said on Sunday with Trevor Phillips on Sky News: "We have 22,000 schools in the country and there have been so...