Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of changing places toilets with hoist and a bench throughout the UK.

In December 2018, we announced £2 million funding for National Health Service trusts in England to install Changing Places facilities in hospitals and significantly improve provision. From 31 May 2019, NHS trusts can bid for this funding, on a matched basis.

We are supportive of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultation which ran from 12 May 2019 to 22 July 2019 and sought views on how to increase provision of Changing Places toilets in specific new, large buildings commonly used by the public, as well as those undergoing building works. They propose to introduce a mandatory requirement for Changing Places in Building Regulations for some specific new, large buildings.