§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information her Department evaluated on access to Wembley stadium for disabled people; how it compared with such access to other major sporting venues; and if she will make a statement. [28658]
§ Mr. Sproat[holding answer 13 May 1996]: My Department has made no evaluation of Wembley stadium or compared it with other sporting venues. The provision of disabled facilities in existing stadiums is the responsibility of the management of the ground in question. The Government strongly support improvements in facilities for disabled spectators at sports grounds, and the Sports Council takes into account disabled access when distributing lottery funds for grounds and facilities. Also, the Disability Discrimination Act creates new rights of access for disabled people. The Act places a duty on service providers to make adjustments to the premises, where reasonable, in order to make them more accessible. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Disabled is currently analysing the results of a consultation on the timetable for implementing the rights of access.