Chancellor challenged over tax hikes for air ambulance charities​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Sleaford and North Hykeham MP, Dr Caroline Johnson, Conservative Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care) said in questions to Rachel Reeves on Tuesday (December 3) that air ambulance charities are under threat from the tax rises.

"The Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance alone will need to find another £70,000 just to pay the national insurance rises,” said Dr Johnson. “I ask her now: will she exempt these vital charities, so that they can continue their vital, life-saving work?”

LNAA chief executive Karen Jobling had written to Lincolnshire MPs raising the issue, who in turn wrote to the Chancellor, but Dr Johnson said they had received no reply.

Not addressing the point that air ambulances are self-funding charities reliant on donations, Mrs Reeves responded: “The tax rises in the Budget were used to provide a £22.6 billion uplift in the Department of Health and Social Care budget to ensure that our NHS is properly funded. The NHS will ensure that important services are properly funded, and those allocations will be set out in the normal way.”