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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to issue updated guidance to local authorities on the reopening of disabled toilets as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

Government has made clear through Covid-19 guidance, which is updated regularly, that public toilets, portable toilets and toilets inside premises should be kept open and carefully managed to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19.

To help everyone maintain good hygiene, consideration should be given to configuration of toilets facilities to ensure they are kept clean, with social distancing achieved as far as possible and with best practice handwashing followed.

The impacts of measures on the disabled and other groups needs to be kept under consideration. Local authorities are subject to the Equality Act and the Public Sector Equality duty will apply to decisions relating to these measures.