Penwith Conservative Research Group And Remarks About The Elderly And VAT On Fuel

EDM number 284 in 1994-95, proposed by David Jamieson on 14/12/1994.

That this House condemns the remarks made about the weak and the elderly by Penwith Conservative Research Group from St. Ives in Cornwall in a letter to the Cornishman newspaper on 8th December; believes their remarks that 'the old, the weak and the frail who clog up our hospitals during winter complaining of pneumonia and hypothermia should pay for this privilege', are outrageous and disgraceful; further condemns their comments that 'since this sector of society requires more warmth that the rest of us, it is entirely appropriate to tax this warmth and ensure that they pay taxes in direct proportion to their use of public services'; and calls on the honourable Member for St. Ives and other Conservative Members in the South West to condemn the remarks and to congratulate Labour Members for defeating the Government in the vote on VAT on fuel to keep fuel bills down for all householders, in particular 'the old, the weak and the frail'.

This motion has been signed by a total of 34 MPs.