§ Mr. HannamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether work is being carried out to extend part M (Access and facilities for disabled people) of the buildings regulations to extensions and alterations of existing buildings; and if he will make a statement;
(2) when part M of building regulations will be extended to all floors of new buildings used by the public.
§ Mr. TrippierThe Building (Disabled People) Regulations 1987 require the provision of reasonable access and other facilities for disabled people in certain categories of new buildings. The regulations have been in force for almost 12 months, and we shall now be considering how effectively they are operating in practice. This will provide a firm basis for the development of proposals to extend the requirements to other non-domestic buildings. Officials are also looking into the practical problems involved in applying the requirements to extensions and alterations of existing buildings. I hope that we shall be in a position to consult on detailed proposals during the course of next year.