Sunscreen is life-saving not a luxury item

Sioned Williams MS gains Welsh government commitment to try to get VAT removed from sunscreen

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, has gained a new commitment from Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford to take forward her campaign to remove VAT from “life-saving” sunscreen with UK Government.

Earlier in the year, Ms Williams wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Jeremy Miles regarding preventative measures aimed at reducing the high rates of skin cancer. One of those measures was the removal of VAT on sunscreen – which is currently seen as a cosmetic product and thus subject to VAT. Mr Miles agreed to ask the Finance Secretary to raise the issue with UK Treasury. 

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Wales, and yet it is almost entirely preventable, either by staying out of the sun, or by regularly applying a high factor suncream. However, cost is often a barrier to this being used.

In the Senedd this week, Ms Williams requested an update from Finance Cabinet Secretary Mark Drakeford, who confirmed that UK Government said they had “no plans” to change VAT.  But Mr Drakeford stated he would be “willing to raise the point” again, given recent changes to personnel in the Treasury and the arguments put forward by Sioned Williams MS.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said:

Skin cancer is almost entirely preventable, and yet it currently accounts for almost half of all cancers in Wales – just think of the cost, not only to our health service in terms of diagnosis and treatment, but also the worry and stress that a cancer diagnosis can bring to an individual and their loved ones.

Welsh Government should be looking at all the ways they can help prevent skin cancer, and putting pressure on their Labour partners in Westminster to make sunscreen more affordable by removing VAT is one way to do this. This isn’t a ‘luxury’ item, and yet the high cost is stopping some people from practicing good skin safety – trying to make it go further by not applying enough, not regularly enough, or not at all.

While it’s disappointing that UK Government initially said ‘no’ to Welsh Government, I’m pleased to have secured a commitment for them to raise the point again – it really could be life-saving.