One year on from the floods - time to honour mountain rescue heroes with VAT exemption

As we mark the anniversary of last November's devastating floods in Cumbria, South Lakes MP Tim Farron is reiterating his call for local Mountain Teams to be exempt from paying VAT and vehicle excise duty.

At present, Mountain Rescue teams have to raise money through voluntary fundraising, but have to pay VAT and Vehicle Excise Duty on life saving vehicles and equipment. Tim has long campaigned against this and has submitted a motion to parliament calling on the government to refund VAT and VED to our mountain rescue teams. Tim now has the backing of MPs from across the political spectrum and has been pressing hard for the Treasury to release the funds.

Tim said "It's a year since we experienced devastating floods in Cumbria - at that time all the emergency services did us proud as they went beyond the call of duty. However, the mountain rescue teams were volunteers - isn't it wrong that they alone should have to pay tax on lifesaving equipment?

"I am determined that the coalition government should repay these funds - in the scheme of things, it's a very small amount of money, just £200,000 but it would make a huge difference to our local Mountain Rescue teams in Kendal, Langdale & Ambleside, Coniston and Duddon & Furness."