HC Deb 15 February 1999 vol 325 cc471-3W
Mr. Efford

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has made to the Football Trust requesting additional resources to be made available to football clubs to make provision for disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [70223]

Mr. Banks

I welcomed the Football Task Force's report on Improving Facilities for Disabled Supporters, and wrote to the Football Trust about the recommendations in the report relating to improving access to football grounds for disabled people.

At the Trust's meeting of 25 January, the Trustees agreed to amend Trust grant aid policy to include further specific requirements for clubs to provide access and facilities for disabled people, as recommended in the Task Force report. I welcome this development.

Mr. Efford

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to make provision for(a) increasing the capacity of sports venues in order to increase their ability to accommodate disabled people and (b) improving parking and other transport facilities for disabled people at sports grounds; and if he will make a statement. [70222]

Mr. Banks

Disabled people's access to services—including sports venues—will be improved by implementation of the later rights in Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The first stage will and (c) have lay or consumer representatives on their boards; and if in each case this is under a statutory requirement. [69965]

Mr. Chris Smith

The following table gives the information required:

come into force from October when service providers will have to take reasonable steps to change any practice, policy or procedure which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service; provide an auxiliary aid or service which would enable disabled people to use a service; and overcome physical barriers which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service by providing the service by a reasonable alternative method. From 2004, service providers will also have to consider tackling physical barriers by taking reasonable steps to remove them; alter them, or provide a reasonable means of avoiding them.

In addition, I have taken steps to implement the practical recommendations made in the Football Task Force's Report on Improving Facilities for Disabled Supporters, published last July, which fall to Government. These relate to amending the Approved document (AD) for Part M of the Building Regulations to require all new stadia, new stands and extensions to existing facilities to provide wheelchair spaces in accordance with the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds; to drawing up a sliding scale for the numbers of designated seats for people who are ambulant disabled or visually/hearing impaired within new stands and stadia, and amending Part M accordingly; and to extending the future role of the Football Trust to improve disabled facilities at grounds.

Any changes to the Building Regulations require statutory consultation and will be based on the advice of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions intends to use the comprehensive review of British Standard BS 5810 Code of Practice for access for the disabled to buildings and its supporting research, once it has been completed, as a basis for developing proposals through the Building Regulations Advisory Committee to revise the AD for Part M. In the interim, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has taken the immediate step of including references to the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds in the current revision to the AD to extend Part M to new housing. This will draw the guidance to the attention of interested parties. The review of BS 5810 includes access for the ambulant disabled and when the Green Guide is next updated the standard will be taken on board.

I fully support all the practical recommendations made in the Task Force's report. These include proposals concerning seating arrangement, parking and access at football grounds. In November, I wrote to the bodies identified in the report as having a role to play in implementing the recommendations. I have been encouraged by the positive responses I have received.

The Task Force's recommendations provide an excellent assessment of what has been achieved in the provision of facilities for disabled supporters at football grounds, and where improvement can still be made. They are equally applicable to other sports stadia and I commend them to all those involved in sports stadia management in this country.