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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that late-night venues, such as nightclubs, are accessible to wheelchair users.

The Building Regulations 2010 apply to new building work and are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare. Part M of the regulations requires reasonable provision for people to gain access to and use a building and its facilities, including nightclubs. Approved Document M (Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwellings) sets out how new building work might meet these requirements in common building situations. For existing buildings used by the public, section 20 of the Equalities Act 2010 places an anticipatory duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments, which could include the provision of advance information about access, so that customers with differing needs may use their premises and facilities and nobody is placed at a substantial disadvantage. The Building Safety Act 2022 requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review; Building Regulations can then be updated as needed.