Mountain Rescue Teams And Cold Weather

EDM number 610 in 2009-10, proposed by Timothy Farron on 14/01/2010.
Categorised under the topic of Emergency services.

That this House pays tribute to the outstanding work undertaken by mountain rescue teams during the recent snowstorms and subsequent cold snap; recognises the importance of their contribution in helping emergency services cope with the treacherous weather conditions by providing vehicle support to ambulance crews and rescuing vehicles stuck in the snow; notes that in some rural areas mountain rescue teams have been used to deliver essential supplies to farms and animal sanctuaries; is appalled that mountain rescue teams have to pay value added tax and vehicle excise duty on life-saving equipment which are exempt for other emergency services who do not have to pay taxes on equivalent equipment; is concerned that the Government has not yet announced an intention to exempt mountain rescue teams from these taxes despite indications from the European Commission that the United Kingdom could well be permitted to do so; and calls on the Government to announce such an exemption immediately and pay back the estimated £200,000 it collected in value added tax during 2009.

This motion has been signed by a total of 51 MPs.