Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the provision of tampons and sanitary towels is for women in custody at each police station in each constabulary in the North West of England.

Everyone who is held in custody should be treated with dignity and have their needs respected. The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Code of Practice C sets out guidelines on the care and treatment of detained persons in police custody. Code of Practice C and H, in particular, draw attention to the College of Policing’s Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice (APP), which provides more detailed guidance on matters concerning detainee healthcare and treatment. This includes the expectation that officers consider the effect of menopause or menstruation on female detainees’ welfare.

In relation to the provision of sanitary protection in police stations in the North West of England, the Home Office does not centrally hold information on individual force policies and procedures. However, on 21 December 2017, the National Policing Lead for Custody, ACC Nev Kemp, wrote to all Chief Constables seeking information about sanitary protection arrangements in their respective force areas. Responses to the information request will contribute to the development of new comprehensive guidance for officers, issued by the NPCC, in consultation with women’s groups and other organisations.