Kellie Armstrong MLA, Chair of the Assembly All Party Group on Disability, has challenged Minister Conor Murphy to bring forward new planning regulations to ensure Changing Places toilets are included as standard.
Confirmation that Scotland has introduced the planning regulations confirms that there is no excuse for delays to continue here.
Kellie Armstrong said: “I fail to see why Minister Murphy would continue to make excuses as to why planning regulations cannot be updated. What possible excuse could there be to continue the discriminatory practice of including outdated toilet design requirements?
“Under the current regulations, adults and older children have to lay on the floor to be changed. This means many disabled people, people who have had a stroke, people with limited mobility who need assistance toileting, are not being treated equally by a Minister whose party claims to be the party of equality.
“Changes to regulations would mean all new public buildings would be required to include a Changing Places toilet, as standard. If Minister Murphy wants to really help make toileting equitable, he will bring forward a change to regulations here that will also require retrofitting of Changing Places toilets to public buildings within 5 years.
“It’s time to enable everyone to be able to go to the toilet with dignity when outside their home. The only hold up is a lack of understanding and drive by the Department and Minister.”
Details of the new regulations introduced in Scotland can be found on the following link.