East Lothian Council is gathering views on its scheme which distributes free period products in the county.
The council received funding from the Scottish Government to distribute free products as part of the Period Products (free provision) (Scotland) Act 2021. The Act meant that Scotland became the first country in the world to make it mandatory for all public institutions to provide universal, free, accessible sanitary products for those who need them.
Sanitary towels, tampons and menstrual cups have been distributed in East Lothian in a variety of ways. This includes through schools and public buildings, distribution to foodbanks, citizen advice services, the Police and a breadth of third sector organisations and a top up payment for people receiving a crisis grant.
An online consultation is asking for views on how the scheme is currently used and how it can be improved upon or expanded. It also asks about any barriers to accessing current supplies. All answers are anonymous and the information will help to shape future provision – including the potential introduction to a digital voucher scheme.
The consultation is available to complete online until 28 January 2022: