£9bn a year pledge to fix schools, hospitals and jails

AT least £9 billion a year will go into tackling the “soaring maintenance backlog” and fix crumbling schools, hospitals and prisons over the next decade under the Government’s infrastructure strategy, a minister has confirmed.

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Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said £6 billion a year would go to repairing hospitals, £3 billion to schools and colleges and £600 million to courts and prisons as part of Labour’s plans for “national renewal”.

The maintenance fund is part of the minimum £725 billion committed to boost infrastructure in the 10-year plan, he told the Commons. The Government hopes this preventative action will break the cycle of emergency repairs in public infrastructure.

It will go towards making court facilities better in a bid to reduce backlogs, and improving safety and security in prisons across England and Wales.