Oral Answer by Ministry of National Development on Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment

Feb 26, 2020

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development in respect of the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2019, whether the Government will consider:
(i) increasing the number of lactation rooms from the one lactation room currently required for offices and business parks with a gross floor area of 10,000 sqm and above; and
(ii) lowering the gross floor area threshold of 10,000 sqm before buildings are required to have at least one lactation room.

Answer:

The Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment was most recently reviewed in 2019, by a committee comprising representatives from social service agencies, trade associations & chambers, academia and government agencies. Under the new Code which took effect in January this year, the requirement to provide at least one lactation room has been expanded to apply to more building types. Besides offices and business parks with a gross floor area (GFA) of 10,000 m² or more, this requirement now also applies to all hospitals and polyclinics, as well as mixed-use developments where the non-residential component has a GFA of 10,000 m² or more. 

The intent of the GFA threshold is to strike a balance between the need for such facilities and the practical implications for smaller buildings, such as efficiency in the use of space. Notwithstanding this, developers are encouraged to provide lactation rooms beyond the requirements under the Code, based on the scale of the building and needs of the building users.

BCA will continue to study how we can enhance our accessibility requirements, including the provision for lactation rooms, as part of its periodic reviews of the Code.