From the newsroom. Birmingham city council has effectively declared bankruptcy in a statement, the council said its issued a section 114 notice which prevents all but essential spending. It says its part of spending. It says its part of plans to meet its financial liabilities relating to equal pay liabilities relating to equal pay claims. The council also says its facing a financial gap within its budget currently standing in the region of £87 million. Finances related to protecting Vulnerable People and Statutory Services remain in place. However all other new spending will cease with immediate effect. The schools immediate effect. The schools minister says the government has been very proactive in dealing with the concrete crisis in schools and has been issuing guidance to schools since 2018. In speaking to gb news nick gibbs, comments come after the education secretary apologised for using Strong Language while expressing her frustration at the situation. Both rishi sunak and Gillian Keegan are under growing pressure as schools across the uk have fully or partially closed. Nick gibb told us Gillian Keegans comments were off the cuff. Were off the cuff. If she was frustrated by the fact that the department for education Civil Servants have been working very hard in terms of dealing with race issues, weve been very proactive in deaung weve been very proactive in dealing with the rac since 2018. Weve issued very detailed guidance to responsible bodies, and these are the bodies that are legally responsible for School Buildings, which are the local authorities. The academy local authorities. The Academy Trusts dioceses , but we provide trusts dioceses, but we provide them with the best advice based on the Technical Advice that we get about how to either identify and monitor racks. And monitor racks. Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth says the governments handling of the matter is an abdication of responsibility. Responsibility. He i think today look, when youve got sort of roofs at risk of collapse in various various schools across the country , schools across the country, pupils really worried. Youve got the education secretary expecting to be thanked and congratulated and parents across the country, teachers who work in schools and pupils , because in schools and pupils, because some of these pupils are old enough to understand what is going on. Want you to fix this and dont want any more of your saying, oh, nothing to do with me, guv. That is frankly an abdication your responsibilities. Rishi sunak has chaired his first Cabinet Meeting today since before the summer recess. Since before the summer recess. The labour leader, sir keir starmer, has also chaired his Cabinet Meeting yesterday , saw Cabinet Meeting yesterday, saw some big changes within office, with several figures given new roles. Angela rayner is the new roles. Angela rayner is the new shadow deputy Prime Minister and levelling up secretary and pat mcfadden is National Campaign coordinator as well as shadow chancellor of the duchy of lancaster. Ministers are lancaster. Ministers are expected to overturn the ban on onshore wind farms following pressure from the conservative mps. The government will make the announcement in the form of a written ministerial statement later today. Downing street says its position hasnt changed after rishi sunak pledged to keep the onshore wind farm ban in place last october. The changes will come into force with immediate effect , despite with immediate effect, despite retailer b m has agreed to buy up to 51 wilko stores from administrators for £13 million. It comes nearly a month after wilko collapsed , putting wilko collapsed, putting thousands of jobs at risk across its 400 stores. Retail sales, its 400 stores. Retail sales, retail sales rose in august as customers spend big on self Care Products to total retail sales in the uk were up 4. 1 on last august, above the three month average of 3. 6. Thats according to the British Retail Consortium. Health, beauty, food and drink were the strongest performing categories as kim jong un is expected to travel to russia in an armoured train to meet president Vladimir Putin, the nonh president Vladimir Putin, the north Korean Leader could make the trip as early as this month, near to the border between the two countries. It comes as the us claims the kremlin is attempts to acquire military equipment for its war in ukraine. Offenders are using Virtual Reality to groom and sexually abuse children , as well sexually abuse children, as well as share illegal images of abuse, according to new research from the nspcc. It warned offenders are being desensitised to their own behaviour because of the anonymity such spaces provide through their use of digital avatars. The nspcc has called on tech firms to do more to ensure Virtual Reality platforms are safe by introducing better child safety features and reporting systems. Features and reporting systems. And finally, the hottest temperatures of the year could be seen this week, possibly even hotter than ibiza. The met office is predicting maximum temperatures of 32 degrees tomorrow and thursday, potentially matching the years record during the heatwave in june. It says the Uk Health Security Agency issued a yellow alert across the whole of england. Apart from the north east from yesterday afternoon until sunday night. Afternoon until sunday night. This is gb news across the uk on tv in your car, on Digital Radio and on your Smart Speaker by saying play gb news now its back to markham. Pip back to markham. Pip thanks, tatiana. Thanks, tatiana. You are watching the live desk and the Education Minister nick gibb has confirmed that rishi sunak had refused to rebuild 200 crumbling schools despite the Prime Minister saying it was complete and utterly wrong to blame him over the problems. Well, in reaction, labour frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth saying that revelation the most startling in the crumbling school saga so far, speaking earlier on gb news the shadow paymaster general, calling the situation a shambles. I think today, look, when youve got sort of roofs at risk of collapse in various various schools across the country, pupils really worried. Pupils really worried. Youve got the education secretary expecting to be thanked and congratulated and parents across the country , parents across the country, teachers who work in schools and pupils, because some of these pupils, because some of these pupils are old enough to understand what is going on. Want you to fix this and dont want any more of your saying, oh, nothing to do with me, guv. Thatis oh, nothing to do with me, guv. That is frankly an abdication of your responsibilities. Your responsibilities. Lets cross live to gb News National reporter Ellie Costello, who is outside one of the schools affected in essex, one of the 150 plus schools, ellie and i understand the school youre at, they have just released a statement. Released a statement. Yes. Good afternoon to you both. Buckhurst Hill CommunityPrimary School behind me, one of the 104 fully or partially closed schools in england. They closed schools in england. They have just released a statement letting us know what the situation is inside that building. They understand that rack concrete, that aerated weak concrete is present in their roof. Its affecting eight of the 14 classrooms. Its also affecting the staff room and the dining room. So you might be able to see behind me, actually the car park behind me is quite full. Thats because the teachers behind me are working around the clock try and find around the clock to try and find alternative teaching arrangements, arrangements. And in this statement, they have said that the plan is that some classes will be taught in the classrooms that are deemed safe in that Main Building behind me. But the other half of those classes will actually be moved to school within the to a separate school within the trust. Those pupils will be trust. And those pupils will be attending a separate school in a different building. The start of different building. The start of term has actually been delayed. It meant to this last it was meant to be this last monday, but they found out last thursday that building thursday that that building behind us is deemed unsafe. Behind us is deemed unsafe. Therefore, they had two days to scrap gamble to find something alternative, and it looks as though term is due to start next monday. But of course that is a monday. But of course that is a delayed start of term to those children and those families. And children and those families. And it gives you a sense, doesnt it, the scramble not only of the teachers behind me, but of those children and of those parents to find care for those find alternative care for those pupils now at home for pupils who are now at home for another week. And ellie, do we know how far this school and what this other school is and what the arrangements will this other school is and what the because, arrangements will this other school is and what the because, arrcourseents will this other school is and what the because, arrcourse ,1ts will this other school is and what the because, arrcourse , allnill be . Because, of course, all these now have got these headteachers now have got to and find funding for all to try and find funding for all these measures. These extra measures. All we know from the statement, mark, is that the school is within the trust. So we can imagine that it is within the borough, within in the local academy and Gillian Keegan, the education secretary , he she education secretary, he she tweeted this morning saying that there would be a caseworker allocated to every Single School where concrete was found and they would work to support that headteacher. So we can they would work to support that headteacher. So we can imagine those sorts of conversations are taking place in that building behind us. Perhaps indicative of quite how many cars are there. Quite how many cars are there. All of these cars were here before 9 00 this morning. In that case, worker will be working with that headteacher. Working with that headteacher. And also Gillian Keegan confirmed today that that would be funded. The transport be fully funded. The transport to schools if these to those other schools if these schools and buildings do need it , this case it seems to , which in this case it seems to be the and its so be the case and its so difficult, ellie, isnt it . Because you just mentioned there the scramble at the moment, but its already a scramble to get your kids ready for that first day of term. And yet the first they knew of this was was just several days before i its an almost impossible situation version, isnt it, pip . And its just one of the many, many questions. Why were headteachers and schools finding out about this on thursday afternoon . Thats just two days afternoon . Thats just two days before the start of term. It before the start of term. It comes at the end of a long six week for break these schools. Im sure that headteachers feel very, very frustrated about the timing of all of this. As you say, a last minute scramble for the Teaching Staff to try and find alternative teaching arrangements. Its a very, very difficult set of circumstances and just one in a very long list of questions, which will be when exactly did the government find out about this in the first place . When it in fact did . Gillian keegan the education secretary, about the secretary, know about the seriousness how seriousness of this . How many schools are affected . We still dont have that full list yet. Labour are calling for it. Rishi sunak saying that that could take several weeks to get that full list out and the Million Dollar question at the moment seems to be where is the money coming from . The chancellor and gillian saying that Gillian Keegan are saying that they will will pay whatever they will they will pay whatever it get buildings it costs to get these buildings back and get those children back into school safely. But the treasury, as far as yesterday was saying that there is no new money available and it will be coming from pre existing budgets. That seems to be the biggest question the moment, budgets. That seems to be the bi howt question the moment, budgets. That seems to be the bi how is uestion the moment, budgets. That seems to be the bi how is thision the moment, budgets. That seems to be the bi how is this all the moment, budgets. That seems to be the bi how is this all going moment, budgets. That seems to be the bi how is this all going to oment, budgets. That seems to be the bi how is this all going to beent, is how is this all going to be paid for . Yeah, the existing Capital Budget indeed. Just to update the mums and just to update the mums and dads there as well as those classrooms , i think problem classrooms, i think the problem also touches on the dining room and the kitchen. So there was talk that maybe those children in receipt of Free School Meals may have to have packed lunches. There as well. There as well. Yes, and its all of these details , mark and pip, you details, mark and pip, you wouldnt even think about when you think about concrete and schools being shut. But it is things like how are pupils who are relying on things such as Free School Dinners going to eat 7 Free School Dinners going to eat . So yes, this statement does touch upon the fact that for the coming period, theyre going to have to rely on packed lunches. Have to rely on packed lunches. Doesnt much detail doesnt go into as much detail as to who be making those as to who will be making those packed lunches whether packed lunches, whether that will the the teachers will be the school, the teachers or whether that will fall on the responsibility of those parents. But rely but those children who do rely on school the on Free School Meals for the meantime cannot go into the meantime can cannot go into the dining behind its dining room behind me as its deemed they will be deemed unsafe. They will be relying lunches. Relying on packed lunches. Now, Ellie Costello in essex, thank you for that update. Here to discuss more is Mark Francois, conservative mp for the essex constituency of rayleigh and wickford. Mark is also a member of the Public Accounts Committee. Your concern 7 accounts committee. Your concern . Stewarts constituency sounds like its quite badly affected by all this in terms of the number of schools. Mark. Yes ive been dealing with this issue for two years because at king edmund, the school in my constituency, we had this problem going back that time. And then hockley primary, unfortunately, close unfortunately, had to close because some weeks ago. Because of this some weeks ago. And now i may have a few more that are affected. So if you like, ive learnt about this the hard way. If i could just answer ellies question, which is the one that everyone is asking, why is all this seemingly happened at the last moment, just before the schools came back . The reason is this the government have known for a while that there was an issue with rakhine schools. So and the with rakhine schools. So and the National Audit office cover this in their very detailed report. In their very detailed report. But so they sent out a survey, a sort of Domesday Book Survey to all the schools and the trusts last year, asking if they had any wrac present on the basis of that. Any wrac present on the basis of that. They then sent out that. They then sent out surveyors to assess the severity of it , and surveyors to assess the severity of it, and they basically put schools into three categories low risk, medium risk or high risk. What happened a little over a week ago was that a ceiling beam fell in in a school that had previously been assessed, assessed as a low risk. So at that point, the whole system went into overdrive and they started playing very safe because ultimately this is about childrens safety and double checking everything. And thatis double checking everything. And that is what led to it. So its just the fact that that beam fell in about a week before the school, although there was a similar situation with another school where that happened back in 2018. Now thats thats true. But thats why , to be fair to but thats why, to be fair to the government, they tried to do this survey of every school in england. Unfortunately only about 10 of the schools havent yet replied. But im sure yet replied. But im sure theyll now come under immense pressure to do that. But but no, but i just wanted to try and explain in laymans english why all of this appeared to happen. Quotes last moment. But quotes at the last moment. But weve got nick gibb, you know, in in setting out his stall. We are the government that pointed out the warning in 2018, le. There were worried enough in 2018 to put out a warning. 2018 to put out a warning. Jonathan slater, who is the permanent secretary between 2016 and 2020 at the department of education, saying we had data that showed for hundred schools needed to have replacement work with