HC Deb 11 November 1997 vol 300 cc477-8W
Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extent Part M of the Building Regulations. [14497]

Mr. Raynsford

I plan to make a statement shortly on the extension of Part M of the Building Regulations to new dwellings.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many homes have been constructed in each of the last five years that do not meet the standards set out for accessibility by disabled people under the terms of the changes proposed in 1995 to Part M of the Building Regulations. [14498]

Mr. Raynsford

It is not possible to give a full assessment of how many homes do, or do not, meet the standards of accessibility proposed in 1995 as it is not possible to quantify homes constructed in the private sector which have incorporated accessibility for disabled people on a voluntary basis. As a broad indication, however, a comparison can be made between total housing completions in Great Britain and homes completed by Housing Associations, or registered social landlords, where Housing Corporation Housing Development Scheme Standards will have applied. Those standards provide accessibility for disabled people comparable to the changes proposed to the Building Regulations in 1995. The relevant figures for the last five years are:

Total completions (thousands) Housing Association completions (thousands)
1992 171.9 26.3
1993 178.5 35.4
1994 186.0 36.7
1995 190.7 38.4
1996 179.0 31.5
1997 (Q1, 2 and 3) 133.9 20.2

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the average waiting time for social housing for people requiring a home built to wheelchair standards. [14500]

Mr. Raynsford

Information on average waiting times for social housing is not collected centrally.

In 1991, the former Department of the Environment carried out research into access into local authority housing. The research included a very small number of applicants requiring a home built to wheelchair standards. Their average waiting time was 21 months.

However, the research did not cover access to housing association accommodation. Since 1988, housing associations have been key providers of homes built to wheelchair standards.

Mr. Hancock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the percentage of homes to be constructed using the capital receipts that will(a) be accessible to disabled people and (b) meet wheelchair standards under the terms of the extension proposed in 1995 of Part M of the Building Regulations. [14499]

Mr. Raynsford

It is not possible to estimate the percentage of homes constructed using capital receipts that will be accessible to disabled people as the use made of capital receipts is at the discretion of local authorities. However, where local authorities choose to use capital receipts to support registered social landlords normal Housing Corporation Development Scheme Standards will apply. Those standards provide accessibility for disabled people comparable with the 1995 proposals for extending Part M of the Building Regulations to new dwellings, including accessibility for wheelchair users for the purposes of visitability.