Disability

(asked on 7th September 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on reviewing disabled people's access and amending regulations where necessary to improve disabled access to licensed premises, parking and housing.


Answered by
Penny Mordaunt Portrait
Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
This question was answered on 18th September 2017

Government is concerned about issues raised in relation to access and inclusion of disabled people and the problems with ensuring businesses and service providers comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010. We are keen to remove the barriers that some disabled people face so they can take a full part in their communities; socialise with their friends; and live where they want to.

Too many licensed premises are still difficult for disabled people to access. The House of Lords Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003 published its report in April 2017 and recommended that the 2003 Act should be amended to require that an application for a premises licence is accompanied by a disabled access and facilities statement. The Government will respond to the recommendation made by the Lords Select Committee in due course.

The government is currently examining how the Blue Badge scheme works in practice for people with non-physical disabilities in order to ensure the rules and guidance are clear for both local authorities and citizens and to improve the way the scheme is administered across the country.

The Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017 introduced statutory obligations on the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to provide guidance on housing to meet the needs for older and disabled people, and we are in the process of developing that additional guidance in consultation with the sector and other interested parties. We have commissioned research into Part M of the Building Regulations and are considering the results of that research in order to determine whether there is a need to review current Building Regulation guidance.

In addition to the actions above, I am also working more widely to improve access for disabled people. Earlier this year I appointed eleven Sector Champions, leaders in their particular sectors, to champion accessibility for disabled people as consumers. Sectors covered include, retail, transport, hotels, banking and tourism. My officials are also working with those in DCLG and with the Changing Places Consortium to ensure that, when the opportunity arises Building Regulations will include provisions for fully accessible toilets. There are currently 1033 Changing Paces facilities in the UK

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