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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislation to allow wheelchair users who have been (a) trapped insider their homes or (b) left outside to claim compensation from freeholders for lift malfunction.

The government recognises the importance to wheelchair users of having properly functioning lifts in residential blocks.

Landlords are responsible for maintaining lifts and for carrying out periodic thorough inspections to ensure those lifts operate safely.

Landlords who breach the terms of their lease may be challenged by leaseholders in the courts.

Leaseholders may also challenge the reasonableness of service charges where work is carried out to a poor standard and can apply to the First-tier Tribunal to appoint a manager in cases of serious management failure.

The government has no plans to introduce a statutory compensation scheme.