Committee publication · Correspondence · 27 November 2025
Letter from the Chair to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 26 November 2025 following up correspondence on accessibility standards in new homes
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Inquiry: Housing Conditions in England
Summary
The Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee writes to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning seeking clarification on the Government's policy regarding Part M4(2) accessibility standards for new homes. The letter requests confirmation of whether updated assessments have been conducted on costs, supply impacts, implementation timelines, and risks, and seeks clarity on whether forthcoming National Development Management Policies on housing accessibility will be statutory or non-statutory guidance.
Key findings
- Committee requests confirmation that the Government has not undertaken updated assessments of costs, supply impacts, implementation timelines, and risks since the previous government's 2020 consultation and 2022 response on Part M4(2) adoption.
- Government intends to launch a consultation on National Development Management Policies (NDMPs) by end of 2025, which will include housing accessibility standards.
- Committee seeks clarification on whether new national policies on housing accessibility will constitute statutory requirements under Building Regulations or non-statutory guidance only.
- Committee references Secretary of State's statement that NDMPs take the form of non-statutory guidance to local authorities.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Florence Eshalomi MP, Matthew Pennycook MP, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Secretary of State
Notable line
“We would be grateful if you could confirm therefore that this Government has not yet undertaken any updated assessment of the following:”
Key Quotes
“It left some questions outstanding. I am therefore writing to seek further clarification on a number of points.”
“We would appreciate if you could clarify whether we should therefore infer that any new national policy for decision making on housing accessibility would be guidance only, rather than a statutory requirement under Building Regulations?”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗