Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of mandating Accessible Housing Registers in England.

Local housing authorities are free to set their own allocation schemes in accordance with the relevant legislation and statutory guidance, and they take different approaches to meeting these requirements in relation to accessible accommodation. Some maintain separate registers of accessible housing while others choose incorporate information into their main housing registers.

The government recognises the importance of local housing authorities holding detailed information on the accessibility of their properties and being able to provide prospective tenants with information in that regard. We are currently working with stakeholders on a review of the statutory guidance on social housing allocations. As part of this review, we will consider whether further guidance or the clarification of existing guidance is needed to support local housing authorities to effectively manage their stock and make information about accessible housing available.

The government has no current plans to mandate accessible housing registers in England.