Sir Gavin met with the CEO of AED Donate, Jamie Richards, to discuss scrapping VAT on defibrillators, a move that will enable more communities to purchase them.
Currently, VAT relief on defibrillators applies to those purchased by local authorities, the NHS, and certain charities. However, the same relief is not available to communities who wish to raise the money and purchase one themselves. Removing the VAT can save as much as £500 per device and make community initiatives to buy life-saving equipment much more achievable.
Having previously discussed the possibility of this with the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Gavin is keen that the new Labour Government prioritise this and will be pushing Ministers to do so. Currently, only 8 percent of people who experience a cardiac arrest out-of-hospital survive. With immediate access to a defibrillator, their chance of survival can increase to 70%.
AED Donate, set up in Stone, Staffordshire, helps local communities fundraise and set up defibrillators in their areas. Sir Gavin has continued to champion the work of the charity since meeting with Jamie and his team, supporting their nomination for a King’s Award for Voluntary Service in March.
Sir Gavin said: “It was great to meet with Jamie and the team to discuss VAT relief on community-purchased defibrillators. I’ve spoken to Ministers previously about this issue and believe wholeheartedly we can campaign to make this possible. Communities wishing to fundraise for such critical devices should be encouraged not dissuaded, and by supporting more fundraising initiatives, thousands of lives will be saved each year.’
Jamie Richards, CEO of AED Donate, said: 'We were honoured to welcome Sir Gavin Williamson MP to AEDdonate and deeply appreciate his unwavering support for our mission. His advocacy for the Scrap the Heart Restart Tax campaign is invaluable as we strive to remove financial barriers and ensure that lifesaving defibrillators are more accessible to communities across the UK. Sir Gavin’s dedication to this cause is commendable, and his backing will undoubtedly help us in our efforts to make a significant impact on public health and safety.'
