Public Lavatories: Disability

Department for Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 6 April 2017.

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Photo of Jim Cunningham Jim Cunningham Labour, Coventry South

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to increase the number of Changing Places toilet facilities in public places.

Photo of Gavin Barwell Gavin Barwell Minister of State (Department for Communities and Local Government) (Housing, Planning and London)

holding answer received on 22 February 2017

Government recognises the importance of Changing Places toilets and has worked with organisations such as MENCAP, PAMIS, and the British Toilet Association to support increased voluntary provision over recent years. Since 2007, when the Department for Communities and Local Government became involved with Changing Places toilets, the number of Changing Places in the UK has increased from around 140 to more than 925 today.

For large building developments, guidance on Changing Places was introduced in to Part M (Access to and use of buildings) of the Building Regulations in England in 2013 which states that:

"In large building developments separate facilities for baby changing and an enlarged unisex toilet incorporating an adult changing table are desirable. Facilities incorporating adult changing tables are more commonly known as Changing Places toilets and further guidance is available from the Changing Places Campaign website (www.changing-places.org) or by reference to guidance in section 12.7 and Annex G of BS8300"

Government has also helped people find Changing Places toilet facilities more easily by funding development of a website providing information on the location and details of every registered Changing Place in the UK.

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