§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the potential cost to operators of(a) small hotels, (b) guesthouses and (c) bed and breakfast businesses of the cost of complying with Phase III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [136853]
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§ Mr. Chris Smith[holding answer 6 November 2000]: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 will provide disabled people with better service and facilities and it will also boost one of tourism's under-developed markets. It is not possible to estimate the cost of complying with the requirements of the DDA by type of property because each case will be different. I recognise the concern among small hoteliers about the potential costs of complying with the Act, but they are only required to make "reasonable" changes to their properties, which means the costs will be reasonable. There is a need for sector specific guidance on the sort of adjustments which are likely to be necessary and my Department is discussing with the English Tourism Council and other bodies how to meet this need.