Coronavirus: Ludlow MP calls for VAT to be scrapped on PPE after care home reports soaring prices
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne is calling for VAT to be scrapped on items of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while the country deals with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Appearing on BBC Newsnight on Tuesday, Mr Dunne implored HM Treasury to zero rate VAT on items of PPE, including masks and visors, during this national health emergency.
The Tory MP said his experience talking to care providers in south Shropshire is what inspired him to call for the change.
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Mr Dunne said: “I have been in touch with many different health settings in south Shropshire to discuss PPE, and it was a care home owner in Shropshire who told me the price of basic paper face masks had risen markedly from 9p to 99p, with the treasury receiving 20p for each one sold to care homes and others not supplied via the NHS.
"We need to ensure PPE is as accessible as possible to those in the care sector, and scrapping VAT on these products will help reduce the cost for many care providers in providing their staff with adequate PPE.
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"I have contacted ministers to drive home this point.”
