The government has announced that the 5% Value Added Tax levied on women’s hygiene products for women and girls has been abolished from January 1, 2021 and Liberal Democrat Councillors Diane Williamson and Hazel Gloster were especially delighted to hear the news; for both Councillors had called for an end to the sexist ‘Tampon Tax’ in a motion they proposed at a meeting of the full Council in September 2018.

Councillor Diane Williamson said: “It was scandalous, and sexist, that, whilst men did not pay any VAT on personal hygiene products, women and girls did.  Until 1 January, female hygiene products were classed as luxury products and VAT was levied on them.  These are products which are essential to them during a large part of their lives and I now hope that, with this tax cut, manufacturers will reduce their prices to consumers because at this present time many people are suffering financial hardness and every saving helps.”

Both Councillors are however concerned that a nationwide scheme to provide free sanitary products to girls at school has had a low take-up.  They asked for such a scheme to be established in their motion to address period poverty where girls from low-income families must take time off from schools during their monthly period as they cannot afford sanitary products.

Councillor Hazel Gloster added: “We welcomed the introduction by the Department of Education of the provision of these products to girls in English secondary schools in January of last year.  It was simply not right that students who could not afford sanitary products had to miss days from school, and so lose out on their education. Unfortunately, only 40% of secondary schools have so far taken up the offer of free sanitary products, and the Liberal Democrats want to improve take up locally to ensure all our young people are able to attend school”.

The motion submitted to the Council meeting held September 12, 2018 read:

Motion 2 – Period Poverty

This Council notes that:

• A survey by Plan International UK found that 1 in 10 teenage girls had been unable to afford sanitary products;
• 56% of teenage girls said they would rather be bullied at school than talk to their parents about periods;
• This is particularly problematic for girls from low-income families who see their parents struggling to make ends meet and feel reluctant to ask them to add sanitary products to the weekly shop;
• In many cases, as a result, they may lose a significant number of days of schooling; 
• Regrettably, even women in low-income employment are sometimes unable to afford such products when struggling to meet household bills and feed their families;
• Ironically only female prisoners have a statutory right to access free sanitary products.

Council believes in a country as well-off as Britain ‘Period Poverty’ is a scandal that should be ended.

Council commends:

• The Scottish Government for its commitment to tackle ‘Period Poverty’ by introducing free sanitary products in all educational establishments, and notes that Scotland was one of the first countries to pilot a scheme to young women and girls in need in Aberdeen;
• The project recently established by the 21^st Oldham Friezland Rangers and the charity Red Box whereby members of the public can donate sanitary products in branded boxes located in prominent places for re-distribution to students in need attending our local schools and colleges.

Council resolves to:

• Ask the Overview and Scrutiny Board and Health and Well-being Board, working with relevant Cabinet Members, officers and partners, to explore with local secondary schools and colleges how sanitary products can be made available free to students in their establishments;

• Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Education and Chancellor asking the Government to scrap the VAT levied on female hygiene products as soon as is practicable and in the meantime to use the VAT collected on these products to fund the provision of free sanitary products for girls and women in need.

Proposed by: Councillor Diane Williamson

Seconded by: Councillor Hazel Gloster