Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken since to ensure that women can access and afford sanitary products, since the introduction of the zero rate of VAT, in the context of the rising cost of living.

A zero rate of VAT has applied to women’s sanitary products since 1 January 2021. This applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent, for example, tampons and pads, and to reusable menstrual products, such as keepers. The zero rate will ensure that every woman that needs Period protection during their monthly cycle will now have access to a variety of zero-rated products on which they had previously paid a 5 per cent rate of VAT.

Although there are currently no plans to remove VAT on all personal hygiene products, the Government keeps all taxes under review and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy, as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process.

The Government recognises the pressures that families across the UK are currently facing with the cost of living. The Energy Price Guarantee is a scheme that will cap the unit price households pay for electricity and gas, which means that a typical household in Great Britain will have to pay bills equivalent to no more than £2500 a year on their energy bills between October 22 and April 23.

A review will be launched to consider more targeted measures to support households with their energy bills after this period.