HC Deb 27 July 2000 vol 354 cc755-6W
Mr. Beith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the average amount spent by highway authorities in England in each of the last five years on pavement alterations to enable wheelchair access; and how much each authority spent in that time. [132918]

Mr. Hill

This information is not collected centrally.

My Department does, however, encourage local authorities to make provision for wheelchair users, as well as other disabled people, in the pedestrian environment. This is a central theme in the Local Transport Plan guidance.

We have also announced in the 10 year Transport Plan that we will be developing measures for evaluating accessibility in transport systems, and in streets and public places, to check that investment is delivering real improvements in the day to day mobility of disabled people.