§ Peter BottomleyTo ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will assess the accessibility for persons in wheelchairs of positions for advisers to Ministers in(a) Committee rooms and (b) the Chamber. [33361]
§ Derek ConwayAll Committee rooms, including those in Portcullis House, have wide doors and are accessible to wheelchair users. In most rooms, furniture can be moved to provide space for wheelchairs, although manoeuvrability is limited in Committee rooms 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14 because of the fixed furniture and fittings. If an adviser using a wheelchair was needed to support a Minister, special arrangements could be made.
There are no plans to make the Officials' Box in the Chamber accessible to wheelchair users. If a wheelchair-using adviser was required to support a Minister, he or she would be able to do so from the area adjacent to the Officials' Box. A handrail has been fixed in the Officials' Box to assist people with disabilities.