Slough MP Tan Dhesi has joined over 70 MP’s in signing a letter urging the chancellor to make sanitary products free for all.
In this years Spring statement, chancellor Phillip Hammond confirmed that the government will provide free sanitary products in secondary schools and colleges in England from the next school year.
However, a group of MPs’ are calling on the treasury to extend the decision to make these products universally free for all.
Slough MP Tan Dhesi said: “Regardless of age, social status or background, anyone should be able to easily access the sanitary products they need. This is an issue that impacts education, health and finances for millions of girls and women across the UK, with many spending £5,000 in their lifetime on sanitary products.
“After significant pressure from many of us, whilst I welcome the Government’s recent, but overdue, announcement that they would fund sanitary products in all secondary schools and colleges, more needs to be done to ensure we end period poverty.
“I recently supported a letter to the Chancellor to ask him to lift restrictions on this fund and allow it to provide for homeless shelters, primary schools, women’s refuges and foodbanks, which are equally in need of this provision.”
In the letter, MP for Lewisham East Janet Daby said: “We must also remember the vulnerable women and girls in homeless shelters, women’s refugees, refugees or those who use food banks that will undoubtedly experience period poverty and who are in need of this provision.
“Human rights don’t stop when you leave school, and neither do periods!”
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