STIRLING’S MSP Bruce Crawford has made a final call for the UK Chancellor to lift Scotland’s Police and Fire services out of paying VAT in his Autumn Budget this Thursday (23rd November).

Scotland’s national police and fire services were formed in 2013 after the regional divisions were merged together. Since then, these have been the only emergency services in the UK to be charged VAT by the Treasury.

Last week, during questions to the First Minister, Mr Crawford called on the Tory Treasury to lift the VAT liability on Scotland’s emergency services and to pay back the £140 million in VAT that has been taken to date.

Commenting, Bruce Crawford said: “For the past four years, the SNP have consistently campaigned for the UK Treasury to stop unfairly charging Scotland’s emergency services VAT – which has cost Scotland’s police and fire services over £140 million to date.

“The creation of national police services in Scotland was supported by the Tories in their 2011 manifesto, however now that it has become a reality, their Party’s Government in Westminster has so far been reluctant to alter VAT rules to ensure that Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service are treated fairly – and this has cost our emergency services a heavy price.

“The Chancellor Phillip Hammond must use his Autumn Budget to not only lift Scotland’s emergency services out of VAT, but to pay back the £140 million that has been ripped out of their budgets by an unfair Tory tax system over the past four years.

“This additional cash will go some way in investing in our emergency services here in Scotland – where it should be spent.”