The MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant, has called for the UK government to scrap the VAT applied to products such as sunscreen, which are over SPF-30, in a push to encourage more people to use the cream.
In attempts to cut skin cancer rates in the UK, Bryant, a former sufferer of cancer himself, called for the UK government to ensure ‘every child covers up in the sun and that more people use sunscreen by making it more affordable’.
A regular sized bottle of sunscreen in the UK costs on average around £5-7, with around £1.50 of this being the VAT charge applied. It is currently viewed as a ‘cosmetic’ product, however, the proposed change is for the products to be reclassified with the ultimate goal of being exempt from VAT altogether.
