Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that private developers of buildings used by the public meet the same accessibility standards as public bodies.

The Building Regulations and the statutory guidance accompanying them (Approved Documents) apply to all new building work, or where existing buildings are undergoing a material redesign or refurbishment, and are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. The Building Regulations (Part M) require reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use a building and its facilities.

For existing buildings, used by the public, the Equality Act 2010 places an anticipatory duty on service providers for reasonable adjustments to improve access to their premises so that nobody is placed at a substantial disadvantage.