Colchester MP Will Quince said he was completely surprised to be named in the Autumn Statement for his pressure to give money raised from the so-called “tampon tax” to women’s charities.
Chancellor George Osborne announced in today’s Spending Review that the estimated £15m raised from VAT levied on sanitary products – at a rate of 5% and which must be charged under EU law – would not be kept by the Treasury.
During his speech he said: “There are many great charities that work to support vulnerable women and my honourable friend, the new member for Colchester, has proposed to me a brilliant way to give them more help.”
Mr Quince said: “It was very kind of the Chancellor to give me the credit for the idea. I had no idea it was coming, no warning at all, it was a real surprise in the chamber.
“I spoke to him a few weeks’ ago and pitched it, and they took it away for some number-crunching, and I’m delighted it has made it in.
“I am very pleased, it is great news.
“We said we are going to renegotiate with the EU, so I said ‘let’s put our money where our mouth is’, and I’m delighted that within six months of being here [Mr Quince was elected in May] I have got something significant into the spending review.
“This is around £15million per year going to women’s charities that would otherwise be pocketed by the Exchequer in the meantime until we get it zero-rated.
“I very much hope the Colchester women’s shelter will apply for a slice of this pot.”
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