Written questions by Sultana.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) rights and (b) remedies available to tenants affected by (i) nuisance and (ii) overgrown trees on neighbouring land.

Through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, social landlords, the police and local authorities have been given a range of powers and tools to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), including nuisance. There is also a statutory regime for dealing with a range of nuisances including noise, and it is for individual local authorities to determine the detailed arrangements of the services they provide, taking into account their assessment of local needs and circumstances. Under the new consumer regulation regime, the Regulator of Social Housing will proactively seek assurances that providers are meeting the outcomes set by the Neighbourhood and Community Standard. Providers will be required to collect and publish data on tenants’ satisfaction with their landlord’s approach to handling ASB, which will ensure that tenants can hold registered providers to account. Under common law, a landowner can cut the branches from a neighbour's trees at the boundary between the two properties, whether or not they are causing any damage, if they overhang his or her property and are regarded as a nuisance. If you live in a conservation area, or the trees in the hedge are protected by a ‘tree preservation order’, you might need your council’s permission to trim them.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the (i) provision of disabled toilets and (ii) systems that seek to ensure that only disabled people can access disabled toilets using RADAR keys and (b) effectiveness of (A) RADAR keys and (B) the National Key Scheme in offering disabled people independent access to locked public toilets.

This government has made no recent assessment of the adequacy of provision of wheelchair-accessible toilets. Research assessing layout and equipment of unisex wheelchair-accessible toilets has been published on GOV.UK but, as RADAR keys are not part of the regulated built fabric, research of their use was not included. RADAR keys involve a management oversight which goes beyond the powers and scope of the Building Act. The Building Act gives no powers to building control bodies over how buildings are operated post completion. RADAR keys are managed by building owners to serve the community of people able to access a RADAR key. The sale or use of RADAR keys is not a government backed scheme, nor is the design and use of RADAR keys an expectation of Part M of the Building Regulations. The functional requirement in Part M of the Building Regulations is for new building works to make reasonable provision for people to access and use a building and its facilities.