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1584590

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2023
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent steps the Government has taken to help tackle period poverty in England.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
	tabling member printed	Paula Barker
	uin	140364
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2023 answer text <p>This Government takes the issue of period poverty very seriously and we are already taking steps to ensure that period products are available and affordable for those most in need.</p><p>Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. 97% of secondary schools, 92% of post-16 organisations and 68% of primary schools have made at least one order since the scheme began in January 2020.</p><p>In March 2019 NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them (including long-term in-patients).</p><p>As part of our wider strategy to make period products affordable and available for all women, we have also made it clear that a zero rate of VAT applies to period products now that the UK has left the EU. These products are essential so it is right that there is now no VAT charge.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield grouped question UIN 140369 question first answered 10/02/2023 10:12:39 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
	tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1503574

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether it remains her Department's policy to end period poverty by 2025.
	tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
	tabling member printed	Cat Smith
	uin	45284
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2022 answer text <p>Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.</p><p>Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. 94% of eligible secondary schools had accessed this scheme by December 2021. We are pleased to confirm that the continuation of free period products in schools in England for all learners who need them until 2024. We have expanded the range of products included to ensure more environmentally friendly and sustainable products, based on user feedback.</p><p>Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax Fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.</p><p>As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.</p><p>In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway grouped question UIN 45367 45383 question first answered 07/09/2022 06:00:28 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1503695

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether it remains her Department's policy to end period poverty by 2025.
	tabling member constituency	Bootle
	tabling member printed	Peter Dowd
	uin	45383
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2022 answer text <p>Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.</p><p>Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. 94% of eligible secondary schools had accessed this scheme by December 2021. We are pleased to confirm that the continuation of free period products in schools in England for all learners who need them until 2024. We have expanded the range of products included to ensure more environmentally friendly and sustainable products, based on user feedback.</p><p>Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax Fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.</p><p>As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.</p><p>In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway grouped question UIN 45284 45367 question first answered 07/09/2022 06:00:28 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4397 label Biography information for Peter Dowd

1503703

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Women and Equalities
	answering dept id	31
	answering dept short name	Women and Equalities
	answering dept sort name	Women and Equalities
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether it remains her Department's policy to end period poverty by 2025.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	45367
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2022 answer text <p>Period poverty is an issue the government takes very seriously and has taken a number of steps to address the problem.</p><p>Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. 94% of eligible secondary schools had accessed this scheme by December 2021. We are pleased to confirm that the continuation of free period products in schools in England for all learners who need them until 2024. We have expanded the range of products included to ensure more environmentally friendly and sustainable products, based on user feedback.</p><p>Additionally, from 1 January 2021, the ‘tampon tax’ has been abolished - with a zero rate of VAT applying to all period products. Prior to the abolition of the tax, a Tampon Tax Fund was in place to allocate the funds generated from the VAT on period products, to projects which improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. A final round of £11.25 million in grant funding was awarded in November 2021 to distribute the VAT collected on period products in the final nine months of the 2020/21 financial year, before the tax ended.</p><p>As well as these steps, in 2019, NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them and the Home Office changed the law to ensure that all people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, to include period products.</p><p>In March 2020, in light of COVID-19, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to free up resources to focus on the pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway grouped question UIN 45284 45383 question first answered 07/09/2022 06:00:28 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1585926

	registered interest
	date	09/02/2023
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle period poverty.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	143861
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2023 answer text <p>This Government takes the issue of period poverty very seriously and we are already taking steps to ensure that period products are available and affordable for those most in need. Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16 to 19 education institutions in England. 97% of secondary schools, 92% of post 16 organisations and 68% of primary schools have made at least one order since the scheme began in January 2020.</p><p>In March 2019 NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them, including long-term in-patients. As part of our wider strategy to make period products affordable and available for all women, we have also made it clear that a zero rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) applies to period products now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union. These products are essential, so it is right that there is now no VAT charge.</p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Maria Caulfield question first answered 20/02/2023 10:37:45 answering member 4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1505964

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2022
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing forward new policies to tackle period poverty.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	49161
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/09/2022 answer text <p>No specific assessment has been made. However, since 2019 the National Health Service has offered period products to every hospital patient who needs them and people in custody are provided with health and hygiene products for free, including period products.</p><p>Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and educational institutions for 16 to 19 year olds in England. In addition, since 1 January 2021, a zero rate of VAT has applied to all period products. The Period Poverty Taskforce was established in 2019. In March 2020, the work of the Period Poverty Taskforce was paused to focus on the response to the pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Sleaford and North Hykeham answering member printed Dr Caroline Johnson question first answered 26/09/2022 09:54:03 answering member 4592 label Biography information for Dr Caroline Johnson
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1627237

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to help ensure the accessibility of sanitary products for people in poverty.
	tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
	tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
	uin	184820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2023 answer text <p>In 2023/24, the Government will spend around £289 billion through the welfare system in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Overall, the government is providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023- 24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of living and has taken a number of steps to ensure that necessities like period products are available and affordable for all who need them.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2020 the Department for Education has run a fully funded scheme which makes free period products available for all state-funded primary and secondary schools and college. The scheme gives girls and women easy access to period products at school or college, breaking down stigma and ensuring that no young person’s education is disrupted by their period.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, period products are essential, which is why a zero rate of VAT applies. This is part of the Government's wider strategy to make period products affordable and available for all women.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 184824 question first answered 17/05/2023 10:33:14 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

1698042

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Period Poverty
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of value lost to the economy through period inequity, as set out in the report, The State of Period Equity in the UK, published by In Kind Direct on 29 February.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL3536
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2024 answer text <p>No formal assessment has been made. Menstrual health and gynaecological conditions are a priority in the <em>Women’s Health Strategy for England</em>. This strategy sets out our ambitions for improving information provision and tackling stigma surrounding topics such as periods and menstrual health, so society is better able to support women across their lives, including in schools and in workplaces. The statutory relationships, health, and sex education curriculum covers several areas of women’s health, including menstrual health. In July 2023 we launched a women’s health area on the National Health Service website, which brings together over 100 health topics, and includes a section on periods.</p><p>The Government is also committed to making period products more financially accessible, which will reduce barriers faced by women and girls in accessing education and work. The Period Product Scheme is available to girls and women in state-funded schools and colleges, providing a wide range of free period products, so that periods are not a barrier to education. 99% of secondary schools, 94% of post 16-year-old education organisations, and 75% of primary schools have used the scheme since it began in 2020. Free period products are also available for people in hospital and in custody. Since 1 January 2021, a zero rate of VAT has applied to sanitary products, and in January 2024 this was extended to include period pants.</p><p>Within the workplace, flexible working arrangements can allow individuals, including women suffering from menstrual problems, to work at a time, place, and during hours that support their needs. The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act makes changes to the right to request flexible working, to provide employees with better access to flexible working arrangements.</p><p>More widely, the Government continues to support people on lower incomes, including those who struggle to afford period products. We will spend approximately £124 billion on people of working age and children, through the welfare system in Great Britain, and the Government has provided support, totalling £96 billion, from 2022 onwards to help households with the cost of living. We are providing further support for 2024/2025, including uprating working age benefits by 6.7%, raising the National Living Wage, and extending the Household Support Fund in England for a further six months.</p> answering member printed Lord Markham question first answered 02/04/2024 13:31:12 answering member 4948 label Biography information for Lord Markham
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans