Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of providing free sanitary products to all girls in secondary schools in England.

No one should be held back from reaching their potential because of their gender or background. That is why my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Spring Statement on 13 March 2019 that the Department for Education will lead a scheme to provide free sanitary products in all secondary schools and colleges in England. The annual cost of this provision will depend on the specific nature of the delivery approach and we will refine costs as part of our policy development.