A SOLIHULL MP has called on the Chancellor to remove VAT from the purchase of defibrillators.
Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Solihull West and Shirley MP, has written to Rachel Reeves calling for the tax to be removed as part of her autumn budget.
This follows a debate in Westminster Hall on access to defibrillators within communities across the country.
Dr Shastri-Hurst highlighted two clear messages – the urgent need to expand access to life-saving devices, and the unfair barrier posed by VAT.
In his letter the Conservative MP said: “Time and again during the course of the debate, colleagues highlighted the work of local fundraising groups who are working tirelessly to install defibrillators in schools, village halls, sports clubs and places of worship. These inspiring community initiatives are precisely the ones being held back by the current VAT regime.
“Within the context of the forthcoming Budget, there exists an opportunity for the Government to act.
“Excluding VAT from the purchase of defibrillators would carry only a modest cost to the Exchequer, yet its benefit to communities, and its potential to save lives, would be significant.
“It would stand as a clear example of government working hand in hand with civic society, and it would command not only cross-part consensus but also widespread public approval.”
Dr Shastri-Hurst said: “Every minute matters during a cardiac arrest. Used within three minutes, an Automated External Defibrillator can increase survival chances by 70 per cent.
“Yet VAT means that for every five defibrillators bought, a sixth could be provided if this tax were lifted.
“Simply put, it can mean the difference between life and death.”
