Facts and Statistics

I have researched some facts and statistics from various news sources which I may use in part of my creative project:

• "The UK applies a 5% reduced rate of VAT to the supply of sanitary products. This is the lowest rate possible under EU VAT law." - bbc

• Some students' unions are getting round the problem by selling sanitary products at cost in campus shops.
• In the last couple of weeks, the University of Sussex Students' Union has re-priced its tampons and sanitary towels to £2.21 and £2.34 respectively.
• Previously they retailed at £3.19, meaning a 31% and 27% reduction in price. -bbc

• A UK Change.org petition has gathered almost 300,000 online signatures with thousands more campaigning on social media against the policy that sees five per cent tax added to the price of tampons. – independent, change.org

• British MPs voted this week against a move to force the government to cut the so-called "Tampon Tax" down from its current 5%. Politicians rejected the Finance Bill amendment on 26 October, which would have stopped sanitary products from being classified as "non-essential luxury items" by 305 to 287 votes. – ibtimes

• Periods have been taxed since 1973. It was then that we began paying 17.5 per cent tax on sanitary products such as tampons and pads because the Government deemed them “non-essential” items. After a lot of campaigning, that same ‘period tax’ was dropped to five per cent in 2001. – telegraph

• Labour reduced VAT on sanitary products from 17.5% to 5% in 2000 but could not go any further under EU rules. – guardian

• Ministers have promised to lobby Brussels over the so-called tampon tax in order to avoid a rebellion in the House of Commons. – theweek

• So, in order for an item to be exempt from tax, all 28 EU member states would have to agree to change its status. "Sadly it seems unlikely that the UK would be able to secure unanimous agreement," said Labour MP Kerry McCarthy. - theweek

• The majority of the female population were outraged last week after MPs - men and women - voted against a Finance Bill amendment, which would have forced a negotiation with the EU for a reduction in the current five percent rate. - hemeltoday

• “As a member of the EU, the UK cannot unilaterally zero-rate any item from VAT without each of the 28 other country members of the EU, and the European Commission, giving its approval.
• “The lowest the VAT rate can be set without this approval is five per cent.
• “This is the current VAT rate for sanitary products. - hastingsobserver

I have also found some interesting articles providing facts and statistics on how much women will spend on periods in their lifetime:

•  http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/09/03/women-spend-thousands-on-periods-tampon-tax_n_8082526.html 

• http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/costly-study-recently-claimed-tampons-6372419

• http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/did-you-know-women-spend-18k-on-periods-in-their-lifetime-here-are-10-things-you-could-buy-instead-a2943001.html

And some other interesting articles providing information on how tampons are taxed in other countries around the world:

• http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/tampon-tax-how-vat-paid-sanitary-products-other-countries-1526487

• http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150817/tampon-tax-is-real-women-everywhere-pay-their-governments-extra-to-have-periods

• http://fusion.net/story/142965/states-that-tax-tampons-period-tax/