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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if the Government will take steps to ensure that all new homes meet standards of accessibility for older people.

In October 2015, the Government introduced new, optional requirements for accessibility in to Part M(Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations came into force. The optional requirements include category M4(2) Accessible and Adaptable Dwellings which sets requirements similar to the Lifetime Homes Standard and which are particularly suited to meeting the needs for older households, and category M4(3) Wheelchair accessible dwellings which are intended to meet the need of wheelchair users. Local authorities can set policies in their local plan requiring either or both of these requirements to meet local housing need. The Government believes that decisions as to what proportion of new development should meet these standards should continue to be made at the local, rather than national, level.