| Short Title: | Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 |
| Type: | Scottish Act |
| Parliament: | Scottish Parliament |
| Long Title: | An Act of the Scottish Parliament to secure the provision throughout Scotland of free period products. |
| Year: | 2021 |
| Citation: | 2021 asp. 1 |
| Introduced By: | Monica Lennon |
| Territorial Extent: | Scotland |
| Royal Assent: | 12 January 2021 |
| Commencement: | 18 March 2021,[1] 15 August 2022[2] |
| Status: | Current |
| Original Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/1/enacted |
| Revised Text: | https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2021/1/ |
| Use New Uk-Leg: | yes |
The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 was a Private member's bill in the Scottish Parliament which received Royal assent on 12 January 2021. It is the world's first legislation to make it mandatory for all public institutions to provide free sanitary products for menstruation including tampons and pads.[3] [4] [5]
The act followed a campaign coordinated by Monica Lennon, MSP, the spokesperson on health for the Scottish Labour party, and obtained all-party support in the Scottish Parliament. The provision will cost an estimated £8.7 million annually.
In 2017 the Scottish First Minister had announced that period products would be free in Scotland's schools. It has been noted that other public toilets have followed the lead offering free products or free with an "honesty box". The Scottish government had originally proposed that free products should be available on a means tested basis but changed its proposals in February given the wide support in the Scottish parliament.[6]
Similar schemes for schools have been promised for Ireland in 2020.
The legislation came into force on 15 August 2022, making Scotland the first country to make such a provision.[7]
In 2022, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed the similar Period Products (Free Provision) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.