TO: ALL 2005 GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES

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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE BRITISH TOILET ASSOCIATION

• UK Local Authorities are not legally obliged to provide any public toilets. Only at their discretion.
• There are no minimum standards covering the provision of pupil toilets in schools.
• Cafes, shops, pubs and restaurants are not required to provide toilets for customers – only for employees.
• The same rule applies for transport operators. Very few toilets on London’s underground.

Is it right that the ability of every man, woman and child to find a toilet when ‘away from home’ is dependent on market forces or at the discretion of each authority, business or school. Is this how we regulate for such a basic everyday need?

The British Toilet Association is campaigning for support for a number of political initiatives relating to public or ‘away from home’ toilets, as follows:

• The introduction of a statutory requirement for toilet provision by all public service providers - local authorities, bus and train operators, education and health authorities.
• The introduction of minimum standards of provision covering all types of toilet user - i.e. equality of provision of female facilities to male; fully inclusive facilities for users with special needs - the disabled, babies and young families, as well as extended hours of availability.
• The criminalisation of anti-social behaviour in public toilets - vandalism, illegal substance abuse, sex (of any type) and vagrancy.
• The criminalisation of street urination.
• The ability for local authorities to charge for the use of public toilets, on a discretionary basis. It is currently unlawful to charge for male urinals.
• The introduction of proper regulations covering provision of pupil toilets in schools, which match workplace regulations.
• The encouragement, by law if necessary, of non-municipal toilet providers (e.g. pubs, restaurants, cafes) to permit public use of any toilet facilities provided.
• The introduction of a statutory obligation on all mobile café operators – where food and drink are consumed on site – to provide toilet facilities, where none are presently available within 100 metres.

The BTA promotes the annual Loo of the Year Awards, now in their eighteenth year and is a leading partner in the ‘Bog Standard’ School Toilet Campaign.

The Association is hosting the first ever World Toilet Summit to be held in the West between 26th-29th September at The Waterfront Conference Centre, Belfast.

We will be urging the Electorate to vote for Candidates who believe we need proper toilet provision legislation for customers, visitors and pupils.

Please make a point of visiting one or more public toilets when out canvassing support in your Constituencies. Public toilets are important public service quality barometers in every town or city.

Good Luck in the Election!

For further information contact: