Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill

– in the Scottish Parliament at on 24 November 2020.

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Photo of Kenneth Macintosh Kenneth Macintosh Labour

The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-23328, in the name of Monica Lennon, on the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill. I invite all members who wish to contribute to press their request-to-speak buttons, and I call Monica Lennon to speak to and move the motion.

Photo of Monica Lennon Monica Lennon Labour

I opened the stage 1 debate by saying:

“we are standing tall on the shoulders of previous generations of feminists, trade unionists and equality campaigners”.—[

Official Report

, 25 February 2020; c 20.]

Nine months on, I am delighted to be standing here to open the final debate on the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill. We have got here because we have worked together. We have shown that this Parliament can be a force for progressive change when we collaborate. Our prize is the opportunity to consign period poverty to history. In these dark times, we can bring light and hope to the world this evening.

We have come a long way on this journey since 2016, when I first asked questions in Parliament about period poverty. Parliament has already supported the principles of universal access to free period products. If we pass the bill into law at decision time, nobody in Scotland will ever have to go without period products again. That matters now more than ever, because periods do not stop in a pandemic.

There are places around the world where campaigners and politicians have taken important steps to improve access to period products, but there is not yet a country in the world where gender equality has been achieved. Globally, the struggle for equal rights for women and girls continues. On the issue of period dignity, I am beyond proud that Scotland is leading the way and that we have moved at a fast pace in a short space of time.

When I posed questions to the Scottish Government in 2016 about what was being done to address period poverty, it was clear that United Kingdom-wide austerity was having an impact. Sadly, we know that, in times of economic crisis, women and girls are too often disproportionately disadvantaged.

The thought of anyone having to go to a food bank for food, toiletries and essential period products remains unacceptable, and we have huge work to do to address wealth inequalities in our society. Four years on, that economic struggle has not got any better. In fact, the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on public health and incomes only make the case for the bill even stronger. Periods do not stop for pandemics, and the work to improve access to essential tampons, pads and reusables has never been more important.

I am grateful that the bill has reached this final stage. For that, I pay heartfelt tribute for her collaboration to the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Aileen Campbell, and to her officials and my own team, who have worked together tirelessly on the bill, particularly in recent months and weeks. We have worked closely on amendments and achieved consensus.

I also express my thanks to the Local Government and Communities Committee and the exceptional non-Government bills unit, especially Andrew, Mary and Claudia. I also thank the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Councillor Alison Evison, for her support and leadership. The dedication and hard work that are already happening on the ground across Scotland’s councils has made progress possible. The bill is built on an equal partnership, and local authorities and education providers have demonstrated their commitment time and again.

Finally, I pay tribute to each and every one of the grass-roots campaigners who have brought periods out of the shadows. Instead of hiding tampons and pads up their sleeves, young people in Scotland in 2020 are more likely to be talking about periods on social media and lobbying their sports clubs, schools and workplaces for essential supplies. In contrast with the vibrant supporters’ rally that energised Parliament and filled the public gallery just nine months ago, the heroes of the campaign are at home today, but their voices remain loud and clear—that Parliament should pass the

Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill.

Periods should never be a barrier to education or push anyone into poverty. Women, girls and all people who menstruate deserve period dignity. The bill is practical and progressive, and I hope that all MSPs will support it.

I move,

That the Parliament agrees that the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill be passed.

Photo of Christine Grahame Christine Grahame Scottish National Party

Thank you very much, Ms Lennon. I now call Aileen Campbell to speak on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Photo of Aileen Campbell Aileen Campbell Scottish National Party

It is a great privilege to be here on the day on which we will commit to Scotland becoming the first country in the world to legislate to ensure that free period products are available to all who need them. The legislation will do much to advance equality and social justice here in Scotland—and elsewhere, as other countries seek to follow our path.

At stage 1, I committed to working to make the bill one that we could all support—MSPs and our partners, who will deliver the legislation, just as they have been delivering free products to pupils, students and those on low incomes in the past few years. I believe that we have accomplished that.

As Monica Lennon said, tonight the Parliament can be proud of collaborative working across parties to deliver ambitious and realistic legislation. It is a day on which we can all agree that devolution is working for the people of Scotland. The important lesson is that we can achieve great things in the Parliament when we work together and focus on what unites us.

I sincerely thank Monica Lennon and her team for working so closely with me and my team to make sure that Parliament will—I think—unanimously pass the bill. The pandemic did not get in the way of the phone calls that we often had as we tried to make sure that we got the bill to a place where we could all unite to support it.

I thank the convener and members—past and present—of the Local Government and Communities Committee for their diligence in getting us to this stage. I thank the clerks of the committee and the parliamentary staff who have helped to steer the bill through during a challenging pandemic. I extend my thanks and appreciation to my bill team and my private office staff, who have worked so hard throughout the process. In particular, I thank Elaine Moir, who has done an inordinate amount of work to make sure that we could get to this place.

I also thank some early campaigners, including Julie Hepburn and Gillian Martin, who tabled the motion at our Scottish National Party conference that set the ball rolling on the Scottish Government’s work to introduce free period products. I thank my predecessor, Angela Constance, for overseeing the Government’s first steps on the policy, with a pilot project in Aberdeen in 2017. We can see what we have achieved a few short years on from those first steps. Since the success of that pilot, we have rolled out provision nationally for those on low incomes; we have implemented free period products in educational establishments; and we have enabled local authorities to ensure that products are available within communities.

We have also made real progress in tackling the stigma and embarrassment that some feel when it comes to periods through our let’s call periods, periods campaign earlier this year. The bill cements Scotland’s world-leading approach to period dignity.

Others have also played a critical part, such as the on the ball campaigners who have had success in persuading more than 100 football clubs to provide free period products in stadiums and the countless businesses that have started to do the same in workplaces, shops, bars and restaurants.

We have worked with the social enterprise Hey Girls to develop training materials to encourage period dignity in the workplace and a period products locator app, which, although delayed due to Covid, will be a vital resource in the future. Other organisations, including Young Scot, the Scottish Youth Parliament and Girlguiding Scotland, have also campaigned for period equality. The guides even introduced a period poverty badge.

We are seeing a real change in culture—a move away from stigma. It is becoming normal for period products to be available in a range of spaces. Monica Lennon’s bill will lock in that progress. Despite the challenges of Covid, we have worked in collaboration with her and with stakeholders to ensure that the bill retains the general principle that anyone, whoever they are and wherever they are in Scotland, should be able to access free period products in a dignified way when they need them, whatever the circumstances, and in a cost-effective and deliverable way.

The bill will place a duty on local authorities to ensure that period products are obtainable in their areas free of charge to anyone who needs them. Local authorities are best placed to make that happen in their communities, but, importantly, the bill mandates consultation, ensuring that local voices are also heard. The principles of dignity and choice, which have underpinned all our work so far and are now protected by the bill, will help to maintain high standards in meeting that duty.

The eyes of the world have been watching us and learning from us. The insights that we have gained from implementing our policies have been shared with other UK nations and beyond. They directly informed New Zealand’s provision of free products in high schools, which was announced in summer.

The bill is a world first in ensuring that, by law, anyone who needs free period products can access them, wherever in the country they live. It is a significant moment for gender equality. I sincerely hope that members of all parties will support the bill. I again pay tribute to Monica Lennon for her work in getting us to this place.

Photo of Annie Wells Annie Wells Conservative

I sincerely welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate on this important issue and I thank Monica Lennon and her team for their determined efforts to introduce this trailblazing bill in the Parliament, in collaboration with the Scottish Government, members of the Scottish Parliament and other partners.

Let me say from the outset that the Scottish Conservatives support the bill’s overarching aims. It is essential to the dignity of those who use period products that products are made accessible when they are required. As many groups and organisations made clear during the bill process, there are obstacles that hinder many individuals’ ability to access essential period products. We must tackle the issue head-on.

Obstacles to access to period products have a detrimental effect on the wellbeing of people who use them. More significant, not having such access can lead to serious health complications. Along with members across the Parliament, I am clear that no individual in Scotland should see their health, work or education suffer because they cannot, for whatever reason, access the products that they require to function as a human being. Therefore, the Scottish Conservatives and I will welcome any steps that are taken to improve accessibility.

I am pleased that a core provision of the bill will ensure that people who require them will be able to obtain period products free of charge. That is a positive step forward, as it will ensure that the appropriate products are available to people regardless of their financial circumstances.

Although I have supported the aims of this important bill throughout the bill process, I have sought assurances that the programme will be adequately funded, fully costed and supported by a robust reporting mechanism, to ensure that the bill meets its objectives. The amendments that I lodged at stages 2 and 3 aimed to ensure that that would be the case. Local authorities and other providers must have confidence that the costings have been fully considered, and I continue to believe that a strong reporting mechanism is essential.

I was glad to hear the commitments that were made in that regard this afternoon, and I am glad that, in the latter stages of the bill process, the Government took stock of the debate and had discussions with stakeholders, including COSLA, which agrees with me that financial reporting is important, albeit that the Government did not support my amendment 11. It is encouraging that reporting is being considered as seriously as it deserves to be. At the end of the day, we want the bill to succeed and to support those who require period products. That is why I decided not to press amendment 11; agreement had been reached on the issue, which I welcome.

We have a chance to demonstrate Scotland’s intention to champion period dignity and, I hope, inspire others to do the same. I again thank everyone who engaged constructively with this landmark bill, which demonstrates what the Parliament is capable of when members of different parties come together to fight a common battle for the betterment of Scotland’s people. I am sure that we all welcome and would like to see more of that collaboration and consensus.

Photo of Sarah Boyack Sarah Boyack Labour

Today, we are doing what this Parliament was designed to do: we are improving the lives of people in Scotland. We are also making history. I congratulate my Labour colleague Monica Lennon on getting the bill to this stage, and I recognise the tremendous amount of work that she and her team put into making this possible, over not just months but years.

It is also important to recognise the vital work of grass-roots campaigners, who made a fantastic contribution by pushing hard to influence the Government’s approach to the bill. We heard from a range of trade unions, the Educational Institute of Scotland, Endometriosis UK, Children in Scotland, Barnardo’s, the Poverty Alliance and Disability Equality Scotland. Many organisations wrote to us to say, “This issue is central to people’s lives now—please get on and put the bill through Parliament.”

I thank the Parliament’s clerks for their assistance in drafting amendments for several of us to test the detail of the bill. Even if those amendments were not always passed, the test was important for us. The evidence that we scrutinised at stage 1 convinced me that this was a really important bill—not just symbolic, but one that would lead to a real increase in opportunities to access period products for many who were excluded. Even the fact that we have been discussing the bill is important, because it sends a clear message that we can and should not only think about access to period products but directly tackle the stigma.

Scottish Labour and the trade unions have been campaigning for legislation not just to eliminate period poverty but to deliver dignity and accessibility to period products across the country. The Scottish Trades Union Congress video on Twitter today is inspiring and brings home how the bill will impact people’s lives.

I put on record my thanks for the contribution that our local authorities and universities and colleges have already made by getting out there, experimenting, seeing what works and making products available. I hope that that will encourage other employers to make period products available—not just those who will be required to by the legislation but more widely. Some of the trade unionists pointed out the difficulty in accessing period products.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Aileen Campbell—she will not hear me say that every time I speak in a debate. Her constructive work, following stage 1, with my colleague Monica Lennon ensured that we ended up with a bill that, hopefully, the whole Parliament will support. The bill has been tested and was endlessly debated between the two of them, and when it came to committee we could support it. That was really important.

The pandemic has made the bill even more important, because people have lost incomes and their livelihoods, and many are struggling financially. The charity Bloody Good Period—what a good name—reports that it is now providing six times the amount of products that it did before the pandemic. That is because people are struggling. The charity has had to supply products to food banks, community support groups, women fleeing domestic violence, asylum seekers and refugees, homeless shelters and even NHS front-line workers who could not access products because of the hours that they were working and shortages in the shops. The bill will make a difference now. As Monica Lennon said, it reinforces the importance of local authorities working in our communities to deliver equality on the ground.

I hope that, when the cabinet secretary is involved in discussions for the upcoming budget, she will push for a harder, fairer long-term settlement to enable our local authorities to continue to be radical and deliver the ambitions in the bill not just now but in the future. Let us celebrate the passing of the bill today and the success of grass-roots campaigners in building the political and cross-party support to get us to this stage. Let us also work together to ensure that those responsible for implementing the legislation are given the financial support that they need.

Photo of Andy Wightman Andy Wightman Green

I, too, congratulate Monica Lennon for her spirited determination in pursuit of the bill, for her persistence in the face of difficulties and obstacles, and for her infectious enthusiasm and cheery disposition all along the way, which I am sure must have masked some disappointing moments.

I also commend the cabinet secretary for her constructive role in lodging amendments to the bill in order that it is capable of securing all-party support tonight, which I hope it will. I also congratulate all those who have supported Monica Lennon, many of whom have been mentioned by Sarah Boyack, from the trade unions to the sassy, smart and creative social enterprise Hey Girls.

The bill as introduced provided for a duty to be placed on ministers to create a scheme of universal provision of period products. It has ended up as a bill creating a duty on local authorities. I believe that that is a far more elegant solution, and I commend COSLA, in particular, for its commitment, hard work and engagement in what has been a slightly difficult conversation at times. The bill enshrines local flexibility and delivery by councils and their partners in the manner best suited to their demographics, geography and needs.

In many pre-modern societies, menstruation was celebrated and revered, but world religions and their associated patriarchy have condemned women and girls to a life of taboo, shame and indignity in far too many countries and cultures across the world. According to the World Bank,

“At least 500 million women and girls globally lack adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management”, and it is well established through a growing body of evidence that

“girls’ inability to manage their menstrual hygiene in schools results in school absenteeism, which in turn, has severe economic costs on their lives” and on their communities. So I am proud that, today, the Scottish Parliament will—I hope it will—agree to Monica Lennon’s bill. It not only provides a new rights-based framework for everyone who needs period products but sends an important signal to other societies, communities and countries that it is possible to break the taboos, end the patriarchy and uphold human dignity.

As a father, a husband and a son, I sincerely hope that, for all those girls in school today who are in some distress or suffering from shame, what we do today will be of some comfort, hope and justice. The Scottish Greens will be delighted to support the bill at decision time.

Photo of Alex Cole-Hamilton Alex Cole-Hamilton Liberal Democrat

I will start on a personal note. Monica Lennon and I entered the Parliament on the same day, and we have had many of the same jobs. She is currently a shadow health spokesperson, as am I, and I cannot understand where she has found all the time to realise this important piece of legislation. She has driven it relentlessly, practically since the start of our term in office, and I salute her for that tremendous achievement and what it means for women, girls and everyone in this country who menstruates.

Unquestionably, the Liberal Democrats will support the bill at decision time. I was a signatory to the original draft member’s bill, because strengthening the basic human rights and human dignity of our people is what the Parliament is primarily for and it is why, like colleagues across the chamber, I entered politics.

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but I am not a woman and I have never experienced the panic of being caught out by the onset of my period in a public place. Nor have I been in poverty to the extent that I have had to line my underwear with socks or toilet tissue because I could not afford to buy basic sanitary products, and I have never had to miss work or school because I could not afford those products. However, my lack of understanding of those experiences does not mean that I do not care passionately about ensuring that the bill is passed and that free sanitary products are provided across Scotland. I do not think it should take first-hand experience of menstruation or period poverty to understand that the bill is about basic human dignity, and I salute Monica Lennon for that.

It is estimated that the average period costs around £8 per month in sanitary supplies for one person. One charity has calculated that the average lifetime cost of a period is £4,800. As I heard Monica Lennon say on the radio this morning, no one would go into a public building and expect to have to bring their own toilet paper, so why should women be expected to bring their own sanitary products? For too many, the opportunity cost of period poverty presents impossible choices—it is £8 that does not go towards nappies for a young child or feeding the family, and it is £8 that cannot be used for the basic necessities of daily life. No one should be forced to make those choices.

The bill will make huge strides in addressing period inequality, but beyond that we need to start talking about periods as a part of everyday life that too many in society are uncomfortable discussing. We need to bring the subject out of the shadows. That, in turn, needs to be part of a wider commitment to opening discussion and understanding of even the most sensitive aspects of health and wellbeing.

It is with great pride that my party and I will support the bill at decision time. Once again, I heartily congratulate Monica Lennon on her achievement.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

I think that I am calling James Dornan next. Yes—I am.

Photo of James Dornan James Dornan Scottish National Party

I am delighted to hear that, Presiding Officer. Thank you.

As the only MSP who did not support the bill at stage 1, and as the convener of the Local Government and Communities Committee, I am delighted to speak today about my support for the bill as it is now, and about the committee’s work in scrutinising what has become a truly collaborative piece of policy making. It is always good to see members and the Government working together across the political divide to create important legislation. The bill shows what can be achieved when we do that.

The Local Government and Communities Committee was the lead committee for scrutiny of the bill at stage 1 between September 2019 and February 2020, when we published our report. At the time, we commended Monica Lennon’s work and her collaboration with the cabinet secretary. That joint work helped to highlight the issues of access and affordability in relation to period products, and to highlight the stigma that goes with them.

Following our stage 1 deliberations, we concluded that, although we unanimously supported the bill’s intention to end the stigma of unequal access to period products, the majority of the committee could not support the bill as it was drafted, because of a number of concerns. The concerns were about the disparity between the costs that were presented in the financial memorandum and the costs that the Scottish Government estimated for implementing a universal scheme; the imposition of a duty on as-yet-unidentified public bodies that would have a cost that the Scottish Government was not compelled to fund; lack of support for the initially proposed voucher scheme; and the additional administrative burden and costs that were associated with postal delivery.

It has therefore been welcome to see a completely different picture emerge at stages 2 and 3. Many of the concerns were addressed, largely through collaboration between the member in charge of the bill and the cabinet secretary. Many of the stage 2 amendments that the committee agreed to had previously been jointly agreed by the cabinet secretary and the member in charge. There was only one vote during the committee’s proceedings.

As a result, a far more workable bill is before us. It keeps Ms Lennon’s principal aim of making period products available free by law to anyone who needs them, but it does so by allowing local authorities the freedom to do what is most appropriate locally to meet that stated aim. The principles of choice, privacy and removal of stigma have been maintained, but a flexible and sensible approach is being used.

It is worthy of note that a revised financial memorandum from the cabinet secretary has been finalised in collaboration with the member in charge. That is a welcome addition, given the committee’s significant concerns about the costings.

I congratulate Ms Lennon again on introducing the bill, the cabinet secretary on her determination to ensure that the good work that had been done was built on, and all the organisations and individuals who have campaigned for the aim for so long, some of whom the cabinet secretary has mentioned. Today is a good day for all of them, it is a good day for women, young girls and all others—however they identify—who menstruate, and it is a good day for the Parliament.

Photo of Mary Fee Mary Fee Labour

There are many people and organisations to thank for bringing the bill to stage 3. My colleague Monica Lennon has worked hard and diligently to secure the bill’s passage, and women and girls across Scotland will be grateful to her for her commitment to ending period poverty. I thank colleagues from across the chamber for their contributions to this short but nonetheless important and historic debate.

With the backing of a wide range of campaigners, third sector groups and trade unions, the bill has justifiable and widespread support across Scotland. It should be welcomed as a positive step towards the achievement of equality and social justice.

Entering work or education comes with many fears and anxieties, and lack of access to period products should not be one of them. No longer will one in four young women and girls, and trans boys and young trans men, struggle to access period products. That figure is from Young Scot’s survey of 2,000 young people. No longer should anyone’s physical health be at risk because of lack of access to period products. No longer should anyone feel shame or stigma about their period and the affordability of period products.

I thank the Scottish Government and many local authorities for voluntarily funding provision in areas across the country. The bill will make such provision a legal requirement. It shows again that Scotland can lead on equality and social justice.

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed poverty and job insecurities across Scotland. At a time when people are worried about their incomes and job security, the last thing that they should be worried about is having to afford period products. Food banks have been tremendously supportive in providing a range of sanitary products throughout the pandemic, and long before it, but the legal requirements in the bill should help food banks to focus more on making sure that no one goes hungry. That is the sad reality that we have faced in the past decade of austerity.

Again, I offer my support and congratulations to Monica Lennon on the progress of the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill, and I look forward to Parliament voting to end period poverty at decision time today.

Photo of Alexander Stewart Alexander Stewart Conservative

I am pleased to close, for the Scottish Conservatives, this afternoon’s debate on the important matter of free provision of period products.

First, I pay tribute to Monica Lennon for her tireless campaign to raise awareness of the issue and for seeking a positive solution.

We all agree that no one should struggle to access sanitary products due to poverty. However, many people in Scotland face that problem today. A survey for Plan International UK found that a significant one in seven had, at one time or another, struggled to afford sanitary products.

Period poverty has had a severe impact on the health and wellbeing of many women and girls, and affects their attendance at educational or vocational establishments. That issue needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency, and we are doing that today in Parliament.

As we discussed at earlier stages of the bill, I and other members of the committee had concerns about whether legislation would be the most appropriate way to address the issue. There were also concerns about a universal scheme and how to meet its costs, so I am delighted that the Government, Monica Lennon and other members worked together to ensure passage for the bill.

I am pleased that some of the concerns—which were addressed at stage 2 through amendments that were lodged by the cabinet secretary and Monica Lennon—were addressed, and that we now find that there are possibilities to ensure that many of them are allayed. In my view, many of the changes are to be welcomed.

My amendments at stage 2 and 3 sought to require clarity in the guidance, so I am delighted that the cabinet secretary took on board concerns and liaised with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and local government to ensure that that is included in the bill. I also welcome her commitment to ensuring that the guidance will ensure that the responsibilities of other bodies are taken on board.

I also welcome the agreement that the cabinet secretary has reached in relation to my colleague Annie Wells’s amendment on reporting gathering more detail than simply the costs. Financial reporting is vitally important in ensuring that councils are properly funded to carry out the duties in the bill. It is important that we got that clarified.

There has been exceptional work, collaboration and co-operation among MSPs and across parties to ensure passage of the bill. I pay tribute to Sarah Boyack for what she brought forward in relation to dignity, access, privacy and guidance. That has now been secured and we look forward to seeing that work progressing and being discussed.

In conclusion, I say that the Scottish Conservatives are happy to support the bill at stage 3, and we welcome the improvements that were made to ensure its passage through Parliament, to this evening. Period poverty is an increasingly serious issue that must be addressed, and the bill will go far in ensuring that.

Photo of Aileen Campbell Aileen Campbell Scottish National Party

Today, the Scottish Parliament takes an important step to protect in law the good work that the Scottish Government has already put in place.

I thank members for their many excellent contributions to the debate and their reflections on the importance of access to free period products. It is clear that everyone in the chamber agrees that no one in our society should have to suffer the indignity of not having the means to meet their basic needs, and that being able to access period products is fundamental to equality and dignity.

The legislation shows what can be done when the entire Parliament recognises a need to act and build on cross-party consensus and collaborative work. In particularly challenging times, it has been an example of the Parliament at its best, and I am proud to have been a part of that work.

Since the successful Aberdeen pilot, we have rolled out national provision for those on low incomes. We have also implemented the provision of free period products in education establishments around the country, enabled local authorities to ensure that such products are available in communities, and made progress in tackling the stigma and embarrassment that some people feel when it comes to periods.

I do not think that, a few years ago, any of us could have imagined a campaign to tackle the stigma that still surrounds periods in the way that our “Let’s call periods, periods” campaign did earlier this year. It included posters on bus stops and even a cinema advert that challenged the existing stereotypes. However, as Andy Wightman recognised, the social taboo and stigma associated with periods are still global challenges. Such recognition is right, and we must work collectively to tackle such challenges.

Of course, we all know that the bill whose passage we have been debating today is not the end of the hard work. I know that members will be interested in the next stage, as we seek to implement the act. As quickly as we can after royal assent, we will act to consult stakeholders to produce clear guidance, which will reflect all the views that we have heard today, to ensure that the duties and obligations on local authorities and education providers in respect of the legislation are understood, and so that all such bodies can strive to achieve the excellent examples of delivery that we have seen across the country.

In my opening remarks, I mentioned the global attention that has been focused on Scotland in relation to free period products. The passage of the bill will send a very important message about the kind of country that we want Scotland to be. It is a gender-equal Scotland, in which no one has to go through the indignity of using unsuitable materials to manage their periods, or to go without products in order to stretch household budgets further to enable them to buy other items for their children, or to miss out on education. It is also one in which no one has to hide a tampon up their sleeve. We want to create a country in which everyone is able to participate in society and achieve their potential.

Many people have played their part in getting us to this point. Before I close, I again pay tribute to those who have who have led us to this point: our delivery partners, individuals, campaigners, organisations, members across the Parliament and, of course, Monica Lennon. I thank her and her team for their collaborative working. They should rightly be proud of their achievement—just as we can all be proud that, today, Scotland remains a world leader in period dignity and the Parliament is united over the provision of free period products. As Chelsea Clinton tweeted in response to our landmark provision in education settings,

“Thank you Scotland ... for leading the way ... Hopefully Scotland is only the first country to do this, not the only”.

This year, 2020, has been a horribly traumatic one. As it comes to an end, by voting to support the bill we can look to a future in which lives will be improved and Scotland’s world-leading role will be continued.

I again thank all members who have taken part in the debate for helping us to make the bill what it is. I pay particular tribute to Monica Lennon for her work, and for working with us to ensure that we have a bill of which we can all be proud.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

I call Monica Lennon, the member in charge of the bill, to wind up the debate. Ms Lennon, you can take up till 6 o’clock if you wish. That is not imperative; it is just if you wish.

Photo of Monica Lennon Monica Lennon Labour

Thank you, Presiding Officer. As always, you are very kind.

I am so grateful to members for their contributions to the debate. I again thank the cabinet secretary for her comments and her commitment to the bill, and I associate myself with her remarks.

There are so many people to thank for their support for the legislation. There is so much to say, but so little time in which to do so, even though I might have an extra minute or two on the clock. Early pioneers such as South Lanarkshire College and North Ayrshire Council were among the first organisations to provide free period products before it became a welcome Scottish Government policy and when the parliamentary process for the bill was still very much in its infancy. I will be eternally grateful for their vision and commitment. They showed that this could be done. I am grateful, too, to the cabinet secretary’s predecessor, Angela Constance, for her initial work to get the pilot scheme under way in Aberdeen before she passed the baton on.

Over the years, I have visited dozens of amazing organisations, the length and breadth of Scotland, that have been playing their part to end the cycle of period poverty: the University of Dundee, Forth Valley College, Community Food Initiatives North East—CFINE—in Aberdeen, Lanarkshire Carers Centre and Community Links (South Lanarkshire) in my region, and too many more to mention in the few minutes that I have left. It is thanks to the energy and belief of Girlguiding Scotland, which has been a champion of the need for legislation, and to the pupils at Larbert high school, in Falkirk, who are behind the lady business group in their school. It is thanks to the Scottish Youth Parliament and the Children’s Parliament, and to Erin, Orlaith and Mikaela, who spearheaded the on the ball campaign, which put period products into football stadiums.

I thank the Equality Network and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organisations for their solidarity and for ensuring that trans men and non-binary people will benefit from the bill, too. I thank campaigners such as Victoria Heaney, whose research helped people to see that period poverty is real. I thank Women for Independence for its passionate campaigning. I thank Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Services, which invented the iconic tampon taxi, for transporting period products to those in need throughout lockdown.

I thank Simon Community Scotland for its innovative period-friendly points and its work on homelessness. I thank our local authorities, which have embraced change and made free period products more widely available in libraries, leisure centres and community halls.

I also thank the incredible campaigning from trade unionists across Scotland who believe in period dignity for all workers. The STUC continues to break down barriers around menstruation and menopause, and I am delighted that Roz Foyer and Mary Senior are committed to continuing that work.

Thanks to that amazing grass-roots activism, universal access to free period products has become a mainstream campaign that every political party in the chamber has embraced. We all agree that no one should have to worry about where their next tampon pad or reusable is coming from. We are on the brink of passing this world-leading bill. Scotland will not be the last country to consign period poverty to history, but we have the chance to be the first. This has been a long time coming, and I hope that Parliament will unite behind the bill.

The Deputy Presiding Officer:

That concludes the debate on the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill. There will be a short pause before we move to the next item of business.

Photo of Kenneth Macintosh Kenneth Macintosh Labour

I am minded to accept a motion without notice to bring forward decision time to now. I invite the Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans to move the motion.

Motion moved,

That, under Rule 11.2.4, Decision Time be brought forward to 6.00 pm.—[

Graeme Dey

]

Motion agreed to.