Meeting of the Parliament 09 January 2024
I am delighted to contribute to the debate, and I congratulate my colleague Jeremy Balfour on having raised this crucial subject.
As a former member of the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, I remember well the petition that was lodged by Sarah Heward on behalf of the Tyndrum Infrastructure Group, whose primary aim was to build a changing places toilet in the community. I share Sarah Heward’s and the group’s collective frustration with the slow progress that has been made, and I echo the sentiment of the petition that
“There is currently a black hole the size of Wales in the North West of Scotland where no CPT toilet facilities exist.”
Indeed, as the petition states, the situation
“does not seem representative of the kind of inclusive and accessible community that Scotland aspires to be.”
About three years ago, I was liaising with a constituent about the potential installation of a changing places toilet in Stirling station. At the time, ScotRail responded by saying that the station was an A-listed building, and that it would look at the proposal and investigate it thoroughly. However, it came back to say that insufficient resources were available because of the economic environment, so things did not progress.
I was also aware that Dundee railway station was experiencing slow progress, as was highlighted in The Courier. The Courier reported that legislation was going through Holyrood that could help to prevent the type of obstruction that was being faced by PAMIS—Promoting a More Inclusive Society—which was campaigning for the installation. Kevin Stewart, the then Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, said:
“The Scottish Government remains committed to requiring changing places toilets in certain new developments and I was happy to support the amendment to the Planning (Scotland) Bill which would do that.”
He also said that the Government was reviewing planning and building standards legislation to ensure that identification of places that need such facilities would be required. That was back in 2019; we can see how far we have come by what Jeremy Balfour said in his opening remarks.
Changing places facilities are not a luxury—they are a necessity for the individuals who require them. The Government often trumpets its commitment to our disabled population, so it beggars belief to see that it has taken its eye off the ball on this issue—not only in the past five years, but through its complete neglect of its party’s manifesto promise.
I therefore echo the sentiments of the petition that was lodged and the comments that we have heard today—that the Scottish Government must ensure that the pledged £10 million is available. I urge it to do all that it can to ensure that there is no further delay, because individuals need, and aspire to have, such facilities. Scotland should not be in the position of not having facilities for individuals who wish to travel or go about.
The decisions that we take are vitally important. The minister has an opportunity to talk about what will take place and to ensure that individuals and organisations are given the respect that they deserve, and that the commitment that was given is fulfilled. Not only are the facilities needed now, but they are, apparently, needed across the whole country, in order to ensure that people have the dignity that they wish for, and that they are given respect.
I whole-heartedly support the motion in Jeremy Balfour’s name.
17:20