SCOTTISH ministers were accused today of “dragging their heels” over the replacement of Grenfell-style cladding as the bulk of the removal work is earmarked for 2025.

The Scottish government’s spending review pledged £180 million over three years to remove the flammable exterior panels.

But the vast majority of funds — £100m — will be allocated in 2025-26, while a £30m budget will become available in 2023-24, increasing to £50m in 2024-25.

The cladding remediation programme, which aims to strip high-risk buildings of panels including aluminium composite material, was initially expected to be rolled out in 2022.

This type of cladding was partly blamed for the fatal Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which claimed the lives of 72 people in west London.

More than 100 public buildings, including hospitals and schools, are believed to have been fitted with such panels.

A freedom of information request revealed that 88 primary and secondary schools in Scotland are among them.

Scottish Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin said: “It beggars belief that the SNP government still don’t seem to grasp the urgency of the situation.

“After years of needless dither and delay, they have finally accepted that this dangerous cladding needs to go, but they are still dragging their heels making it happen.

“Every year that they fail to act is another year that people are left living and working in unsafe buildings.

“There is absolutely no more time to waste learning the lessons of the Grenfell tragedy. The SNP needs to stop this dangerous negligence and speed up this programme.”

The Scottish government said that it is addressing cladding safety issues as a priority.