"DON'T PENALISE DISABLED PEOPLE AND LOCAL BUSINESS" SAYS LOCAL EURO-MP

1.47.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 25th Jul 2007

Local Euro-MP Liz Lynne, Vice-President of the European Parliament's Disability Intergroup, has urged the government to look again at a World Customs Organisation decision which has led to the reclassification of disabled mobility scooters as leisure vehicles, necessitating a 10% import duty on any scooters from outside the European Union from 2004.

UK customs officials are now sending a flurry of back-dated tax demands which are hurting local businesses and pushing up the costs of disabled scooters.

Liz said:

"It is astonishing that through the UK government's lack of planning and foresight a backdated import duty has been slapped on these vehicles."

"Such scooters are real lifeline for many people who otherwise would have no means of independent transport. The increase now being seen in the retail price may well price them out of the market and leave local elderly and disabled people housebound."

"I have already raised the matter in the European Parliament and will continue to campaign for a solution with my Westminster colleagues as it is unacceptable that vulnerable people are penalised in this way."