'Schools under-funding' sparks row between Harrogate's Lib Dem and Tory rivals after vote on crumbling concrete crisis

The two rivals likely to square up for the Harrogate and Knaresborough seat at election time swapped accusations over whether the Government is "hiding the facts" over the alleged under-funding of school maintenance.

Tom Gordon, Lib Dem spokesperson for Harrogate & Knaresborough, criticised the area’s Conservative MP Andrew Jones for voting against a parliamentary motion which would have forced the Government to publish key information on safety fears surrounding RAAC – reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The potentially collapse-prone lightweight concrete has become of major concern after the Government took the decision to close all English school buildings built using RAAC just days before the start of the new academic year.

Harrogate’s sitting MP claims The Labour Party motion in Parliament on Wednesday would have resulted in a "costly and time-consuming exercise" which would have achieved little.

And he accused his Lib Dem rival of misreading what really matters to parents and teachers in the current political storm over crumbling concrete in school buildings in the UK.

But Mr Gordon, for the Lib Dems, slammed the Conservatives and Harrogate’s MP for showing “utter contempt” for the safety of children after Conservative MPs voted to block the publication of information on spending requested by the Department for Education to fix RAAC school roofs.

“Parents deserve to know the truth about the safety of their children in school,” argued Mr Gordon.

“How can we fully understand the situation if the Government hides the facts?

“They would rather see Rishi Sunak and the Government cover up their underfunding of schools than allow their constituents to understand how we got into this crisis.

“For Andrew Jones to not want to see this information made public speaks volumes.

"It shows utter contempt for the public. We deserve better.”

Last week saw Mr Gordon call on North Yorkshire Council to confirm if all schools in North Yorkshire had been surveyed for the crumbling RAAC ahead of the new school year.

But Mr Jones hit back that the facts were already out there and the local situation was crystal clear.

"The school condition survey was published in July and is available for anyone to read on the National Audit Office website,” said the Tory MP.

"There are no schools affected in Harrogate and Knaresborough and only one in North Yorkshire. That school is in Scarborough.

"To imply that significant information of interest to parents and teachers is being hidden is incorrect.

"The Labour Party motion in Parliament on Wednesday called for civil servants and ministers to sift back through millions of emails, notes, text messages, letters and so on to make sure every mention of school building issues is in the public domain.

"While the outcome of this costly and time-consuming exercise might be of niche interest to a small number of politicians the most important thing is to concentrate Government time and resources on making schools safe and resuming education as normal.

"The full list of schools has been published.

"We know what needs to be done. We need to get on with that job.

"To ask ministers and civil servants to place their attention elsewhere is a significant misreading of what is important to the vast majority of parents and teachers."