Women could be guaranteed female-only lavatories in public buildings, after an outcry over gender-neutral facilities.

Increasing numbers of publicly accessible lavatories are being converted into facilities – such as at the Old Vic Theatre in south London – that can be used by all genders.

However, ministers have told officials to see whether changes should be made to building regulations so that they make it explicitly clear women must be allowed access to female-only lavatories in public buildings.

Peers complained this week that gender-neutral lavatories – which they said had been introduced by “woke” public bodies – made women feel uncomfortable.

Public authorities have a duty to provide safe spaces for women in lavatories in buildings. Ministers’ concern is that converting all lavatories to gender-neutral facilities falls foul of such regulations.

Civil servants in the Department for Communities and Local Government have now been asked to write to the British Standards Committee to ask whether technical guidance on building regulations needs to be clarified.

A Government source said: “It is clear that there needs to be a public service provision for everyone in our community.

“The Government is committed to maintaining safeguards that protect women. Proper provision of separate toilets for both men and for women, which has long been a regulatory requirement, should be retained and improved.”

Earlier this week, Lord Lucas, a Conservative hereditary peer, said of the trend for gender-neutral lavatories: “Women do not want to wash bloody underwear in front of men. What is the justification for making women feel unsafe where now they feel safe?”

Welcoming the rethink this weekend, the peer told The Daily Telegraph: “I am delighted that the Government is to make sure that public buildings provide properly safe spaces for women.

“I hope that they will also make sure that there are enough such spaces to meet demand – or at least to provide for women’s needs equally with men’s.”

Raymond Boyd Martin, managing director of the British Toilet Association, added: “Where space and planning allows, we would always support the concept of separate facilities for females and males.”

The Old Vic Theatre in central London was criticised when it converted many of its male and female lavatories to gender-neutral or "self selection" lavatories last autumn. The number of lavatories increased from 22 to 44, although 15 of them were urinals that could only be used by men.

Sarah Ditum, a columnist for the Spectator, said of the refurbishment: “The problem is obvious: women cannot use urinals.

"So provision continues to favour men, but in some ways the situation is even worse than it was before, because now men have free access to the only toilets that women can use."

She added: "A theatre with inadequate women’s toilets, or without women’s toilets at all, is a theatre that doesn’t care whether there are women in its audience."

An Old Vic spokesman said: "This has been one of the most commented on innovations that we have tried in recent years, with opinion evenly split on this deeply personal topic.

"The More Loos fundraising campaign was to raise funds towards doubling the loo provision available to women and therefore reduce queue times.

"At The Old Vic the most important thing to us is running a theatre that is welcoming and comfortable for those who visit us, and that is fundamentally opposed to prejudice or intimidation.

"We are therefore incredibly appreciative of the wider comments on our new loos and have carefully listened to all viewpoints (before and since) to ensure that the right provision is offered. If you want to see how the loos work in practice, come and visit us – and keep your feedback coming.

"We read it all and it does inform our thinking as we navigate the best way, within the constraints of a Grade II* listed building and the legal requirements placed upon us, to ensure that everyone feels welcome."