Question
Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to my constituent Lyndsay Hogg for her tireless campaign to persuade businesses to provide free sanitary products in their public toilets? Lyndsay believes that we should go further and make that a legal requirement for businesses, ensuring that no woman or girl is ever prevented from participating fully in society because she has no access to essential sanitary products. Does the Minister agree that that could be a huge step forward in tackling period poverty, and will she agree to meet Lyndsay and me to explore how we can make this ambition a reality?33% vibes
Answer
I pay tribute to Lyndsay, and I would be delighted to meet her and my hon. Friend to discuss what more we can do. It is good to see businesses and public services already opting to provide products, but it is right that, in parallel, we make sure that women have more money in their pockets and are lifted out of poverty. We are doing that by making work pay, cutting energy bills and scrapping the two-child limit, but I look forward to discussing this issue further with Lyndsay and my hon. Friend.17% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (60/100)
The Minister directly paid tribute to the campaign and committed to meeting the Member and the campaigner to discuss what more can be done. The reply did not answer the question about whether a legal requirement would be a significant step forward. It only noted that businesses and public services are already providing products voluntarily, so the asker would likely need to press again on that point.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister join in paying tribute to Lyndsay Hogg for her campaign to persuade businesses to provide free sanitary products in their public toilets | Addressed | Direct | The Minister states plainly, "I pay tribute to Lyndsay", which directly answers whether the Minister will join in the tribute to her named campaign. |
| What is the department's view on whether a legal requirement for businesses to provide free sanitary products in their public toilets would be a significant step forward in tackling period poverty | Not Addressed | Generic | The item asks for the department's view on whether a legal requirement would be a significant step forward, but the reply only notes that businesses and public services are voluntarily providing products and never states a view on a legal requirement. |
| Will the Minister agree to meet the MP and Lyndsay Hogg to explore how the proposal for a legal requirement on businesses could be taken forward | Addressed | Direct | The Minister says "I would be delighted to meet her and my hon. Friend to discuss what more we can do", a clear commitment to the requested meeting, reinforced by the later statement looking forward to discussing the issue further. |