Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) businesses on the access needs of disabled people when making changes to roads, pavements and parking spaces as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department published statutory guidance to local authorities under the Traffic Management Act 2004, providing advice on the changes that Government expects them to make to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians. This includes a reminder that local authorities need to be mindful of the requirements of equalities legislation, ensuring, for example, that in redesigning and reallocating road space they take careful account of the impacts this may have on disabled people. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/reallocating-road-space-in-response-to-covid-19-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities.

It is for local authorities to decide what measures are appropriate on their roads and what they are able to achieve with the resources they have.

The Department for Transport has not provided guidance to businesses on this matter.