Abolish fuel tax for our air ambulances: Euro MP’s petition plea

“I think this is a cause well worth supporting and I would urge everyone who can to go online and sign up to this petition,” said Mr Nuttall, whose North West constituency includes the Ribble Valley, Burnley and Pendle.

“The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is exempt from duty on the fuel they use for their vital life-saving work and I see no reason why the North West Air Ambulance Service should not be afforded the same right.

“Charity-funded air ambulances provide an invaluable service across the region and they need all support we can give,” added Mr Nuttall, Deputy Leader of the UK Indepencdence Party.

The North West Air Ambulance receives almost no central government or lottery funding and costs in excess of £4m. a year to maintain both its aircraft, which are on call round the clock covering 5,500 square miles. It comes into its own in large and remote rural areas such as Ribble Valley, where it could take a land ambulance much longer to reach a casualty, if they are accessible at all by land.

The air ambulance can then transport a casualty to hospital in a matter of minutes to receive the prompt medical attention that can make the difference between life and death.

“This petition needs 100,000 signatures to trigger consideration for a Parliamentary debate and we can all do our bit to ensure that figure is not only met but well exceeded,” added Mr Nuttall.

To sing the petition, log onto: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/29349