Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to monitor the impact that the removal of VAT on period products has on the cost of those products in shops.

While the Government does not control prices, a VAT relief is able to contribute to the conditions for price reductions. Women’s period products, including tampons and pads and reusable menstrual products, were previously subject to VAT at a 5 per cent rate. The Government kept its promise to remove the VAT and zero rated these products with effect from January 2021.

This was to ensure that every woman that needs period protection during their monthly cycle has access to a variety of zero-rated products, potentially benefiting an estimated 18 million women. The Government is looking into whether this important zero-rating is being passed on by retailers to women as intended.