The collapse-risk concrete at the centre of a crisis in school buildings has been found in parliament. The presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) poses no “immediate risk”, a parliamentary spokesperson said. Ministers remain under pressure over the issue, with concerns about the state of school buildings sparking anxiety about the presence of Raac in other publicly-owned buildings and infrastructure. “As part of routine ongoing investigations, Raac was identified in one area of the palace,” the spokesperson added. “Structural engineers have confirmed there is no immediate risk. Where Raac is found, mitigations will be put in place as necessary.” Concerns about the safety of the parliamentary estate are longstanding, amid repeated delays to plans to restore and refurbishment the site. There have been repeated warnings in recent years about the threat of fire and asbestos across the estate. The restoration project is estimated to cost several billion pounds. It came as the Department for Education said more than 600 schools had now been surveyed for the concrete. Senior officials also confirmed that the department had received 98% of responses to a questionnaire about potential Raac in their buildings. Ministers set a deadline of last Friday for school leaders and responsible bodies to respond. The new figures emerged as the DfE’s permanent secretary, Susan Acland-Hood, and its chief operating officer, Jane Cunliffe, appeared before the public accounts committee (Pac). The two top officials were questioned by MPs about the ongoing crisis, with the Pac chair, Dame Meg Hillier, telling the civil servants it was disappointing the pair had not come before MPs ready to provide more figures. They resisted questions about how many schools were waiting for a survey for Raac, amid questions from Hillier about whether the number was in the “tens” or “hundreds”. Cunliffe told MPs that in two-thirds of all the surveys conducted, Raac had not been found. The officials could not put a figure on the total number of pupils affected by the crisis, but defended the department’s handling of the issue and said that there was a “coordinated” cross-government approach.