Teather Fights Unfair Caribbean Passenger Tax

3.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Jul 2009

Sarah Teather is working with Floella Benjamin to fight for Caribbean families

Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather has tabled a parliamentary motion calling on the government to think again on new unfair taxes to be levelled on all UK passengers to the Caribbean.

The government plans to tax airline passengers but, instead of basing charges on the actual distance travelled, are drawing up arbitrary zones based on the location of a country's capital city. This means that Caribbean passengers will pay a higher tax than those to the West Coast of the United States, despite travelling to a destination closer in distance to the UK.

Sarah Teather is calling on the government to tax flights based on the distance they travel and the carbon dioxide levels they emit, rather than taxing individual passengers based on an arbitrary zone. This would be fairer on UK residents with family in the Caribbean and better for the environment, too.

On 17th June 2009 Sarah joined a delegation of MPs meeting the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Bruce Golding, to discuss this issue.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Many people in Britain have large families living in the Caribbean and need to be able to get to special occasions like weddings or a family Christmas. Why on earth should passengers to the Caribbean be charged more than passengers to the West Coast of America, when the Caribbean is actually closer to the UK?

"Airlines should be taxed based on the distances flights travel and the harmful carbon dioxide levels they omit, not on arbitrary and unfair boundaries drawn up by a government minister. Taxing planes rather than individual passengers would be better for the environment and fairer for passengers on busy routes, too.

"The government should support Caribbean families by promising a complete rethink on their passenger tax plans."

Friends of the Earth have called on the Government to stick with their original plan for a per-plane aviation duty, saying "this would have encouraged fuller planes and also covered currently untaxed freight flights".

Related Links:

Sarah's Parliamentary Motion on Air Passenger Duty.

Friends of the Earth Budget Briefing.