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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to statistics from the 2021 Census which showed that the North East has the highest proportion of disabled people in England, what steps they are taking to ensure there is an adequate provision of accessible housing in the region.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including older people and people with disabilities, and reflect this in their local plan. As planning is a local responsibility, proportionate data about local housing needs and provision is not held centrally, although the English Housing Survey collects data on accessibility and adaptations within the home; the most recent adaptations report is published online.