Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide incentives to developers to ensure that new homes planned for construction in 2014-15 will be (a) wheelchair accessible and (b) built to lifetime homes standards.

Part M of the Building Regulations set minimum access standards for new homes. The Government plans to introduce an optional level of accessibility above these minimum access standards which will set out criteria for age friendly, accessible and adaptable standards. The Government also plans to set out within Part M an optional standard which will set out criteria related to the specific needs of wheelchair adaptable and accessible housing.

Furthermore, the National Planning Policy Framework already sets out that Local Plans should take into account the current and future needs of range of households including older and disabled people.

This combination of Building Regulations and national planning policy sets a robust framework to promote adaptable and accessible housing.