§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, as part of the Government's plans to help small businnesses, if he will consider raising the number of employees under the sanitary conveniences regulations which make mandatory the provision of separate sex lavatory facilities from the current number of five.
§ Mr. MayhewI have been asked to reply.
In its report, "Health and Safety Legislation: Should we distinguish between men and women?", the Equal Opportunities Commission—EOC—stated that employers could be helped to comply with their obligations under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 if, in places of employment covered by these and other regulations, separate sanitary accommodation did not have to be provided for men and women. The report points out that the Health and Safety Commission—HSC—which has the statutory duty of proposing changes in these requirements, would welcome comments from any who would be affected by a change in the law.
I wrote to the chairman of the HSC in June, asking the Commission to consider the EOC's recommendations and to submit proposals to me in the light of comments that it receives. It is consulting, and I look forward to receiving its recommendations.