HL Deb 14 April 1981 vol 419 c863

2.42 p.m.

Viscount Ingleby

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will encourage Ministers, Members of both Houses of Parliament and senior civil servants to spend a full working day in a wheelchair during Access Week, starting 29th June, being part of the International Year of Disabled People, in order to discover the access problems of disabled people.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are grateful to the noble Viscount for drawing attention to Access Week in this interesting way. While I appreciate the intention underlying the Question, I doubt whether the suggestion contained in it would prove practicable even if it were possible for all those mentioned to carry it into effect.

Viscount Ingleby

My Lords, in thanking the noble Lord the Minister for his reply, may I ask him this supplementary question: Would he encourage Members of both Houses of Parliament to join with disabled people in a wheelchair tour of significant buildings in their own areas?

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, I am sure that local groups of disabled people would be greatly encouraged by the interest and support of Members of both Houses, but this is a matter which the individuals concerned will wish to decide for themselves. I would also think it would be extremely helpful to the cause for local authority officers, and perhaps local councillors, to be involved in this particular exercise.

Baroness Elliot of Harwood

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether Government will encourage the planning officers of buildings for which they are responsible to be very attentive to the access to new buildings being put up by local authorities, and planning that they should be made adequate to deal with the access to which the noble Viscount, Lord Ingleby, refers? It is the planning authorities of local government which I hope the Government will press on this important matter.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, I agree with my noble friend. The Property Services Agency is compiling comprehensive lists as part of a scheme monitoring the civil estate. These will take time to complete. As they are ready they are supplied to the Civil Service Commission to assist them in the assignment of disabled candidates in the competitions they run. We are not just talking about wheelchairs. There are wider problems with people who are still disabled although not in wheelchairs. They have different access problems.