MP & MEP thank residents for signing mountain rescue petition
South Lakes MP Tim Farron joined Chris Davies MEP at Kendal Mountain Rescue station on Wednesday afternoon to thank the over 6,000 local residents for signing the petition calling for VAT to be axed from our Mountain Rescue teams.
The duo also reaffirmed their commitment to campaign and thanked the volunteers at Kendal Mountain Rescue station in Kendal. Tim and Chris said our teams are the 'fourth emergency service' in the Lakes.
Today they will submit a formal response to an official European Commission tax consultation calling for them to scrap all VAT paid on the life-saving equipment along with the 6,000 signatures.
Despite providing a fourth emergency service, members of search and rescue teams - all of whom are volunteers and whose activities are supported by donations from members of the public - currently have to pay VAT, unlike sea based rescue services who have a special exemption.
Tim said: "I want to thank the thousands of local residents who have joined the campaign and called for the EU and the government to axe the tax that Mountain Rescue teams pay. They are the 4th emergency service and deserve to be treated as such. Without doubt the volunteers that staff our Mountain Rescue teams are heroes."