Diolch, Llywydd. I wish to move the amendment formally in my name. Amendment 39, tabled in my name, seeks, by way of Welsh Government guidance, to strengthen local toilet strategies by making clear the actions a local authority must take to address the need for public toilets in their local area in an effective and timely manner. I believe that this is the best way to achieve what the majority of witnesses who gave evidence during Stage 1 and 2 proceedings wanted, which is a way to ensure that local authorities guarantee that there is adequate provision of public toilets in these areas.

In an ideal world, we would not be looking at ways to maximise the number of available toilets that the public can access; we would already have enough facilities to cater for this most basic of needs. But we don’t live in an ideal world; we live in a world where the elderly and the disabled are trapped in their own homes, unable to venture outside because they don’t have widespread access to public toilets.

The fact that the Bill simply requires councils to prepare a public toilets strategy will do nothing to improve provision or allay the concerns of those affected by the lack of provision. These concerns were shared not only by patient groups and the older people’s commissioner, but also by the NHS Confederation, the Association of Directors of Public Health, and Public Health Wales, who told the health committee that financial pressures on councils will mean that a strategy will not improve provision.

Amendment 39 strengthens the language used, and makes it clear to local authorities than they must take action, not merely put forward proposals, and that the actions they take are the most effective possible and are delivered in a reasonable timescale. I fear that, given the financial constraints placed upon us, this is the best we can hope for. Throughout the Stage 1 proceedings of this Bill I’ve felt that the Welsh Government needs to have a grasp of the overall picture of public toilet provision across Wales. It is no good to have 22 local toilet strategies if there is patchy provision in some parts of the country. Hence amendment 40 tabled in my name puts the onus on the Welsh Government to ensure that, combined, the local toilet strategies provide sufficient national provision.

I’m grateful to the Minister for accepting my argument during Stage 2 that we need to ensure that the guidance on toilet strategies covered collaboration between local authorities. I will support the Minister’s amendment 27, but feel that it could be strengthened to show that the reason for collaboration between authorities is to ensure adequate toilet provision across the respective regions. For this reason, I hope Members will support amendment 27A tabled in my name. Diolch yn fawr.