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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's call for evidence, Toilet provision for men and women, updated 29 January 2021, what the evidential basis was for (a) his decision to extend the deadline into the consultation of gender neutral toilets and (b) the statement in that call for evidence that the replacement of male-only and female-ionly spaces with gender neutral toilets places women at a significant disadvantage.

Toilets, both in municipal and private sector locations, are an important facility for members of the public, in particular women, those with children, older people and disabled people.

A) In January we identified a majority of personal views amongst the responses and so we extended until 26 February to gather more technical guidance relating to toilet provision.

B) Media coverage, personal accounts and parliamentary scrutiny described inequality in the use and provision of toilets, particularly for women. In recent years, we have seen examples of the removal of well-established male-only/female-only spaces when premises are built or refurbished, and they have often been replaced with gender-neutral toilets. This places women at a significant disadvantage. While men can then use both cubicles and urinals, women can only use the former, and women also need safe spaces given their particular health and sanitary needs (for example, women who are menstruating, pregnant or at menopause, may need to use the toilet more often). Women are also likely to feel less comfortable using mixed sex facilities, and require more space.