Victory for campaign to cut air ambulance fuel duty
Following a four year campaign, Alec has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s decision to cut fuel duty for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service. Alec introduced the idea to the House of Commons in October 2010 and has since been lobbing Treasury Ministers to implement the measure.
In the House of Commons Chamber in October 2010, Alec said:
“I make a plea to the Minister to consider cutting fuel duty for air ambulances. I am proud that we have an excellent Yorkshire air ambulance-indeed, we have two. Yorkshire air ambulance costs £2.628 million a year to run and not one penny comes from Government. It is all raised through charitable giving. I therefore urge the Minister to consider, when the time is right, cutting fuel duty on the 162,632 litres of fuel that the Yorkshire air ambulance use each year.”
The Chancellor’s decision to adopt this measure is welcome news for Alec’s campaign and for air ambulances across the UK.
Every day the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is deployed on life-saving calls across the region, often reaching casualties in locations difficult for ground vehicles to get to.
Local Rothwell resident, Maisie Allen (pictured at Rothwell Leisure Centre with Alec), who has raised thousands of pounds for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service also welcomed this fantastic news from the Chancellor.
Alec said: “I’m really pleased this campaign has delivered a successful outcome as it will help the air ambulance service continue to save lives in our region. Maisie has been an inspiration in working with me, despite a terminal cancer diagnoses, to lobby the Government for this change and it makes all her fundraising even more worthwhile”.