Changing Places toilets – Scottish funding update
Jeremy Balfour MSP spoke to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday 11th December 2024 about the importance of Changing Places toilets (CPTs) and asked the Scottish Government to confirm that the promised £10million CPT fund will be delivered. He urged clarification on timescales and more detail on funding amounts for the next financial year following the recent Scottish Budget, details of which were delivered to the Scottish Parliament on the 4th December 2024 but lacked any mention of the CPT fund. Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport responded to Mr Balfour and other participants and confirmed that the dedicated CPT fund will launch in 2025 and continue into 2026 with funds being available across a two year time period. Jenny Miller, PAMIS CEO stated:
“The Scottish Parliament debate yesterday highlighted the invaluable lessons we can learn from people with profound learning and multiple disabilities (PMLD) about the power of collaboration. This was evident from the passionate contributions about the importance of changing places toilet from all the cross party MSPs. It was reassuring to hear Marie Todd MSP’s commitment to delivering the £10 million fund for these essential facilities in Scotland and we eagerly await further updates early in the New Year.
PAMIS remains dedicated to working with all political parties and communities to ensure that this transformative resource fund is effectively distributed and utilised across Scotland over the next two years. On behalf of our community, we express our gratitude to Jeremy Balfour MSP for raising this issue. It was inspiring to see how the Scottish Parliament can unite to address this fundamental human rights issue. However we need to remain vigilant in ensuring it does come to fruition and we follow the success of the English fund in delivering many more changing places toilets in areas of greatest need.”