GERRY Bermingham was among the supoprters of a successful challenge to the Government to reverse a Customs and Excise ruling that would have cost the St John Ambulance organisation £75,000 a year. The St Helens South MP signed an Early Day Motion laid down in the House of Commons, which gained the support of 115 MPs and spurred the treasury to act and force Customs and Excise to reinstate VAT relief.
Customs and Excise reversed a 1990 budget ruling and tried to charge VAT on resuscitation training dummies. They claimed the mannequins were not medical equipment, contrary to previous assurances to St John Ambulance that VAT would not have to be paid.
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