Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) parish and (b) district councils to improve access to disabled toilet facilities in rural communities.

Local authorities are best placed to assess and manage toilet provision and location.

However, through our £30.5 million Changing Places Toilet programme, we have supported the installation of 483 new disabled toilet facilities across 220 local authority areas in England. This targeted investment helped address gaps where provision was limited or non-existent, particularly in rural towns and coastal areas.

Although this programme closed on 31 March 2025, changes to building regulations have made it mandatory to include Changing Places facilities in new public buildings (or those undergoing major redevelopment) that fall above a certain size threshold. This aims to significantly increase the availability of these vital facilities over time and makes accessibility a mainstream consideration in how we plan and build our public spaces.