§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation took place with the Building Regulations Advisory Committee on the proposed amendments to the "Building Regulations, Access and Facilities in Buildings for the Benefit of the Disabled", circulated on 14 October 1983.
§ Sir George YoungThere have been three rounds of consultation on the question of the provision of access to buildings for disabled people. The Building Regulations Advisory Committee was involved in the preparation of all these proposals, and in considering the responses to them. It discussed the 14 October 1983 consultation at its meetings in July 1983, December 1983 and February 1984.
§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which organisations were circulated on 14 October 1983 with the consultation letter enclosing the proposed amendment to the "Building Regulations, Access and Facilities in Buildings for the Benefit of the Disabled"; what views were expressed by the disability organisations; and if he will make available the responses to this consultation.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department's letter of 14 October 1983 was distributed to more than 300 organisations which are always consulted on proposals for new building regulations. In addition, 41 disability organisations were specially consulted on this occasion, and the papers were generally available; I have sent my hon. Friend lists of all the consultees.
Sixteen organisations representing disabled people responded, and I am sending my hon. Friend a list of them. They all supported the principle of extending the building regulations to require the provision of facilities for disabled people, and they all welcomed our proposal to apply the requirements to work on existing buildings, as well as to new buildings. Almost all, however, regretted the temporary limitation of the access requirements to 180W ground floors. Some groups also considered that the minimum provision of wheelchair spaces in auditoria and sports stadia was too low.
Other responses from organisations representing building, and industrial and commercial interests, on the other hand, criticised the absence of any exemption for small buildings, and suggested that provision of the facilities required could prove unreasonably expensive. Those concerned with fire protection matters welcomed the limitation of the requirement to ground floors until adequate standards for safety and means of escape from other floors are agreed.
I regret I cannot make available the individual responses to the Department's consultation letter of 14 October 1983 without the authorisation of the respondents.