HC Deb 07 June 1989 vol 154 cc162-3W
Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he is taking to ensure a sufficient supply of wheelchair housing for people with disabilities who wish to leave residential care or to set up home on their own; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham

The Department of the Environment (NI) funds the provision of special needs housing in response to proposals by the Housing Executive and by registered housing associations. It is a matter for the Housing Executive and individual associations in consultation with statutory bodies and voluntary agencies to determine the numbers and locations of units to be provided to wheelchair standard. In practice the supply of wheelchair accommodation has, I believe, kept broadly in line with the needs of physically handicapped people who wish to leave residential care or to set up home on their own.

Mr. Alfred Morris

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of completions of(a) wheelchair housing and (b) mobility housing by (i) local authorities, (ii) housing associations and (iii) the private sector in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Needham

i. I am advised by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. However during the period 1976 to 1 April 1989 102 dwellings were built for use by tenants confined to a wheelchair and 6,044 dwellings were built to mobility standard.

ii. The number of wheelchair units completed by registered housing associations in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 financial years is as follows:

Year Number of units completed
1979–80 10
1980–81 11
1981–82 11
1982–83 15
1983–84 53
1984–85 29
1985–86 39
1986–87 10
1987–88 41
1988–89 79
Total 298

No separate record is kept of units built by registered housing associations to mobility standard. However, most sheltered housing for the elderly is built to mobility standard and the number of such units completed in each of the last 10 years is as follows:

Year Number of units completed
1979–80 181
1980–81 285
1981–82 97
1982–83 448
1983–84 356
1984–85 448
1985–86 497
1986–87 227
1987–88 364
1988–89 421
Total 3,324

iii. Further units to mobility standard were provided for client groups other than the elderly but specific numbers are not readily available.

There are no statistics available for the provision of facilities for the wheelchair disabled within the private housing sector.