Thank you. The Bill includes a statutory duty on Welsh Ministers to publish guidance to which local authorities must have regard when developing their local toilet strategies. Section 110 of the Bill sets out a number of issues that this guidance must cover. The amendments in this group tabled by Caroline Jones seek to make changes to the content of that guidance. When amendments 39 and 40 were considered at Stage 2, I explained that I was unable to support them as they go beyond the policy intent, and would produce inconsistencies within the Bill. This remains my view, and I am unable to support them today. However, at Stage 2 I also made a commitment to give further consideration to one of the issues raised in a related amendment, namely collaboration between local authorities in addressing needs for toilet provision, which could involve more than one authority. This might include, for example, provision on a major route that crosses two or more authorities. This consideration is now addressed in Government amendment 27, which requires the guidance issued by the Welsh Ministers to make provision about collaboration between local authorities on this issue.

Amendment 27A, however, seeks to extend this amendment by putting costly duties on local authorities during a period of austerity. Again, this would go beyond the policy intent, which is to improve the planning of toilets available to the public, so that they better meet the needs of communities. It would also result in inconsistencies within the Bill. I would therefore ask Members to reject amendments 39, 40 and 27A and to support Government amendment 27 in this group.