The UK’s Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) crisis is a national emergency—but one that still hasn’t received the transparent accountability it demands. Across the UK, thousands of people are living in limbo, displaced from their homes, burdened with repair bills, and overwhelmed by anxiety due to the risks posed by this unstable material.
Today, we have sent an open letter to Baroness Eluned Morgan MS, the First Minister of Wales, and Jayne Bryant MS, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, calling on the Welsh Government to take a decisive stand.
We are asking the Welsh Government to:
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Support a statutory UK-wide Public Inquiry into the approval, promotion, and unchecked use of RAAC in public housing and infrastructure.
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Acknowledge the scale of public concern, demonstrated by over 6,000 signatures on our UK Parliament petition, nearly 2,500 signatures on the Scottish Parliament petition, and 120 signatures on a new Welsh Government petition.
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Develop contingency plans to protect Welsh citizens if the UK Government fails to act.
📝 Read the full open letter to the Welsh Government here:
👉 [Open Letter to Baroness Eluned Morgan and Jayne Bryant ]
✉️ Similar letters have also been sent to the UK Prime Minister and Housing Secretary (read here) and to the Scottish First Minister and Housing Minister (read here).
RAAC: More Than a Building Flaw—It’s a Political Scandal
RAAC, often nicknamed “aero-concrete” or “bubbly concrete,” was heralded as a revolutionary building material in the post-war years. Its light weight and low cost made it a go-to solution in schools, hospitals, and public housing. But we now know that it is dangerously unstable—prone to sudden collapse when exposed to water or prolonged wear.
What’s worse is that the risks were known for decades. Our open letter outlines clear evidence that politicians, construction firms, and public bodies either ignored or covered up the truth about RAAC. Among the most disturbing revelations:
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Government-affiliated research bodies and commercial firms actively promoted RAAC despite concerns about its durability.
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RAAC-containing housing systems such as Siporex and Skarne were pushed onto local authorities, often through pre-approved procurement systems.
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Safety reviews, such as those triggered by the Ronan Point disaster, excluded Scottish (and likely Welsh) properties from scrutiny—despite clear evidence of risks across the UK.
Wales is not immune to these failings. Councils across the country may have unknowingly inherited RAAC buildings—some of which have only recently been identified through surveys. For many residents, those buildings remain their family homes, schools, or community spaces.
Why We Need the Welsh Government to Step Up
While responsibility for a full statutory inquiry rests with the UK Government, devolved governments must not sit idle. The Welsh Government has both a duty and an opportunity to protect its citizens and lead by example. Our open letter urges them to:
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Apply political pressure on Westminster;
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Publicly back the campaign for justice and transparency;
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Take independent steps to assess and mitigate RAAC risk in Wales.
Baroness Morgan, Wales’s first female First Minister, has already broken barriers. We believe she can now make history again by ensuring that no Welsh resident is left behind in the pursuit of justice.
The Human Cost
Behind every RAAC failure is a family in crisis. We’ve met residents forced to flee their homes with only hours’ notice. Parents watching children attend school in buildings at risk of collapse. Pensioners living in fear as cracks deepen in their ceilings. People who bought homes unaware that RAAC lay hidden in their walls and roofs—only to discover that repairs cost more than the property is worth.
This is not just a construction issue. It is a human rights issue. It’s about the right to feel safe in your home, to trust public institutions, and to receive justice when things go wrong.
A Call for Justice
Our campaign is built not on politics but on people. We welcome the chance to work with both the Welsh and UK Governments to bring clarity, accountability, and restitution to all who have suffered.
But if action continues to be delayed, the moral responsibility will fall on devolved leaders like Baroness Morgan and Jayne Bryant to act. That is why we have written to them today.
We ask our supporters and concerned residents in Wales to:
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Share our letter and blog post on social media;
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Write to your MS (Member of the Senedd) and MP urging support
Sign and share our UK Parliament petition: [https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701337]
Sign and share our Welsh Governmnet petition: [https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/246606]
Together, we can expose the truth about RAAC, demand justice for the families affected, and ensure that a scandal like this can never happen again.
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