We are directly funding UNICEF and the Red Cross to provide vital support for children's health in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including mental health services, medical care, essential supplies, food security, nutrition, clean water, shelter and other humanitarian assistance. For UNICEF specifically, we have provided targeted support for children through a £5.75 million contribution, part of our wider £60 million humanitarian uplift. This is supporting their work to assist over 5,800 children with severe malnourishment. The UK has also supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza. 750 tonnes of life-saving food aid arrived in the first delivery in December and there have been numerous deliveries since.

Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity. We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza. We continue to raise this with Israel at the highest levels.

Government does not record statistics on the impact of lack of public toilets on disabled people or those with specific health conditions. Local councils are empowered by the Public Health Act 1936 to provide public conveniences. We recently announced up to £30.5 million funding to local authorities in England to boost the number of Changing Places toilets for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets. They will be installed in existing buildings and we have made it compulsory for new public buildings to have them.

The Minister for Equalities, Faith, Local Government and Communities made a statement (HCWS172) on 4 July 2022 setting out the Government’s intention to make changes to the Building Regulations to support better privacy, dignity and security for people using toilets outside the home. As part of that work, the department carried out a call for evidence on toilet provision for men and women, which closed in February 2021. We received more than 17,500 responses to the call for evidence and of those, 88% cited important considerations including medical conditions and toilet provision for disabled persons. These concerns were reflected in our more detailed proposals which were set out in a technical consultation on toilet provision in buildings other than dwellings which closed in October 2023. The responses to the technical consultation are now being considered and we intend to amend Building Regulations accordingly in the coming months.