LETTER:Bog standard

From Mr Nick Clark

Sir: Ruth Picardie's article "P!$$ed off" (13 November) implied British Standard 6465 might be Cr&p.

BS 6465 Part I would recommend not five cubicles for 250 women visiting a cinema, but eight (60 per cent more), and not 12 cubicles per 250 men but one! While not entirely removing the need for crossed legs in certain situations, it clearly recognises the problem of inadequate provision of sanitary facilities for women, and sets out to redress the balance.

Far from covering only "businesses in which food and drink are consumed on the premises", it recommends levels of provision for dwellings, accommodation for elderly people, facilities for disabled people, public toilets, workplaces, shops with sales areas in excess of 1,000m2, schools, buildings for public entertainment, hotels etc, restaurants etc, licensed bars and swimming pools.

I suspect that your correspondent has been killing time reading a 10- year-old copy of the standard form 1984, which has been subsequently withdrawn. The 1984 version was strong, absorbent and long - perhaps it can be imaginatively recycled?

Yours faithfully,

Nick Clark

British Standards Institution

London, W4