Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The Government has taken steps to tackle period poverty in various settings such as hospitals, police custody, and schools. However, concerns remain about access to sanitary products in developing countries and for domestic abuse survivors.
Welcoming the progress made by the UK government in tackling period poverty, Alistair Carmichael raised concerns that there is still work to be done domestically. He mentioned ActionAid's report indicating that one in ten girls in Africa miss school due to lack of access to sanitary products or toilets. The Government has set a target to eradicate period poverty in developing countries by 2030, and the hon. Member for North East Fife introduced a Bill to improve transparency on this issue.
The right hon Gentleman's Bill is welcomed, and in 2019 the Department for International Development announced a global campaign on period poverty aiming to end it by 2030. An allocation of up to £2 million was made for small and medium-sized charities working on period poverty in DFID's priority countries.
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Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
Women's Aid reported that almost half of domestic abuse survivors living in refuges do not have enough money to pay for essential items. Schools, prisons, and hospitals provide free sanitary products, prompting a query about when these provisions will be extended to victims of domestic abuse residing in refuges.
A recent report by Women's Aid shows that almost half of domestic abuse survivors living in refuges do not have enough money to pay for essentials. Schools, prisons and hospitals now provide free sanitary products for women and girls. The hon. Member asked when victims of domestic abuse living in refuges can expect the same courtesy as those in other settings.
The hon. Lady makes an essential point regarding the need for sanitary products among those in refuge centres. The tampon tax fund, established in 2015, has been allocating funds from VAT on period products to support vulnerable women and girls dealing with such issues.
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