Public Lavatories: Disability
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the (i) provision of disabled toilets and (ii) systems that seek to ensure that only disabled people can access disabled toilets using RADAR keys and (b) effectiveness of (A) RADAR keys and (B) the National Key Scheme in offering disabled people independent access to locked public toilets.
Answered by Alex Norris
This government has made no recent assessment of the adequacy of provision of wheelchair-accessible toilets. Research assessing layout and equipment of unisex wheelchair-accessible toilets has been published on GOV.UK but, as RADAR keys are not part of the regulated built fabric, research of their use was not included. RADAR keys involve a management oversight which goes beyond the powers and scope of the Building Act. The Building Act gives no powers to building control bodies over how buildings are operated post completion. RADAR keys are managed by building owners to serve the community of people able to access a RADAR key. The sale or use of RADAR keys is not a government backed scheme, nor is the design and use of RADAR keys an expectation of Part M of the Building Regulations. The functional requirement in Part M of the Building Regulations is for new building works to make reasonable provision for people to access and use a building and its facilities.
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