This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Member. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.
Section
The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act comes into force on Monday 15 August, legally requiring councils and education providers to make period products available free of charge to anyone who needs them.
The Council has provided period products free of charge since 2018 in East Dunbartonshire schools and since 2019 in 14 community locations, including the Council’s Community Hubs, Community Halls, Community Centres and Mugdock Country Park.
A requirement of the Period Products Act is for councils to carry out consultation on the provision of free products locally. A survey was conducted across East Dunbartonshire in July 2022 and the findings are being analysed to inform future provision in the area. A further survey will be conducted in East Dunbartonshire Schools in the coming term to inform school provision.
Councils are also required by the Act to publish a ‘Statement on Exercise of Functions of the Act’. We have therefore published our statement, outlining how we will meet our commitment to delivering free period products in East Dunbartonshire, on the Council website.
A Free Period Products web page has been created on the Council website for this publication and the page also includes details of where free period products can be accessed locally. A link to the findings of the community survey will also be included once the survey analysis has been concluded to determine these.
The findings of both the community survey and the consultation being carried out in schools will inform future provision in East Dunbartonshire.
