Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all new homes are built to the Lifetime Homes Standard.

We will consult shortly on various options to raise accessibility standards in new homes. This will include considering the use of M4(2), the standard in building regulations for accessible and adaptable homes, which is broadly equivalent to the Lifetime Homes standard.

We also published planning guidance, in June 2019, to help councils meet accessible housing standards in England. This sets an expectation that planning policies on housing should make use of the optional technical standards in the Building Regulations for accessible and adaptable homes.

The Government is also currently undertaking a full review of Part M, the regulation which now includes much of Lifetime Homes.