Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the provision of disabled toilets in schools.

All new school buildings must have an accessible toilet as required by building regulations. In addition, the Department’s guidance requires a hygiene (sanitary changing) room for pupils who require extra support.

The Equality Act 2010 also places a duty on all schools to support disabled children and young people. Local authorities must prepare an accessibility strategy for disabled children and schools must prepare and act upon an accessibility plan for their premises. Both strategies and plans must include how buildings will be improved over time to enable disabled pupils to have better access to education. They should be regularly revised if necessary, and the local authority or school must consider the need to allocate adequate resources for their implementation.

Local authorities must ensure there is an appropriate school place for all pupils, including those with SEN and disabilities. The Department is investing a total of £365 million through the Special Provision Capital Fund from 2018-19 to 2020-21. This funding will help local authorities create new places and improve facilities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. We also recognise the importance of providing a safe and effective environment for pupils. Since 2015, we have provided over £7.4 billion in condition funding to schools and those responsible for maintaining and improving school buildings.