Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of adequacy of the accessibility of hotels for disabled people in the UK.

The Government remains committed to the ambition set out in both the Tourism Sector Deal, and more recently in the Tourism Recovery Plan, for the UK to be the most accessible tourism destination in Europe by 2025.

VisitEngland’s Inclusive Tourism Action Group comprises a range of leading accessible tourism stakeholders who share the vision for England to provide world-class accessible tourism experiences that every person with accessibility requirements can enjoy. The chair of the group, Ross Calladine, is the government's newly appointed Disability and Access Ambassador for Tourism.

The group undertakes a range of activities to increase engagement of tourism destinations and businesses in the provision of access for all and to raise awareness of accessible tourism experiences amongst disabled people.

VisitEngland is currently undertaking a review of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) that helps accommodation owners in England develop and promote their level of accessibility and helps people with accessibility requirements identify suitable accommodation more easily. It comprises a comprehensive set of standards and, for a fee, assessment by a trained independent assessor. The review of the NAS is being carried out within the wider context of VisitEngland’s work on accessible tourism, particularly the provision of the Accessibility Guides initiative and the comprehensive guidance on the Business Advice Hub.