VAT on sunscreen

That this House calls for sunscreen to be reclassified as an essential healthcare item and therefore be exempted from VAT, given the important role it plays in preventing serious health conditions such as skin cancer; understands that sunscreen is currently classified as a cosmetic product in the UK and is therefore subject to 20 per cent VAT, which adds around £1.50 to the cost of each bottle; recognises that Cancer Research UK has concluded that being sunburnt once every two years can triple the risk of melanoma skin cancer, and that melanoma skin cancer incidence rates have more than doubled in the UK since the early 1990s; and calls on the Government to therefore take action to remove VAT on this essential product to make it more affordable and to encourage people to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the sun.