THERE is no priority for maintenance repairs based on how long schools have been waiting for jobs to be carried out.

Torfaen Borough Council maintains a list of school repairs, that is constantly updated, and works through it in priority order, based on risk, until it runs out of it annual funding amount.

Cwmbran Two Locks Labour councillor Colette Thomas asked at a scrutiny committee if the council’s education department considers how long a repair has been on the list.

But John Tushingham, head of resources for the education service, replied: “The length of time something has been on the list isn’t a signficant factor. What matters is how urgent it is and does that have an impact on learning?”

The council had an initial maintenance budget for schools of £460,000 this year and has received an extra £693,454 from the Welsh Government for the current financial year.