Question
Period poverty is a huge issue. The measures that the Minister has outlined are welcome, but it is a much wider issue. It has been estimated that women spend 20% more than men in their lifetimes on essential products—not cosmetics, but essential hygiene products. For a family with two or three children who are girls, that has a massive impact on their budget. Will the Government consider something that I have suggested often: looking at the pink tax—the extra money that women are charged—and doing something about it?
Answer
The hon. Lady raises a fair point and a fair challenge. No one should pay more for essential products, including health or hygiene-related products. I will pick up the issue with colleagues across Government, and I will come back to her with a full response.
Verdict: AMBER (30/100)
The reply says the Government will raise the issue with colleagues across Government and that no one should have to pay more for essential health or hygiene products. It does not commit to any specific action on the 'pink tax', and it defers the substantive response to a later reply. The answer is therefore mostly hedged and incomplete, and the person who asked would likely need to pursue the question again to get a concrete position.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Government consider examining the 'pink tax' (the extra amount women are charged for products) and doing something about it? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply commits to raising the issue with colleagues across Government, which goes some way to answering whether the Government will consider it, and it asserts that no one should pay more for essential health or hygiene products. However, it names no concrete action on the pink tax, and it defers the substantive response to a later reply ('I will come back to her with a full response'). |