Greg Says “Scrap VAT” on Suncream

 East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight is calling on the Government to scrap VAT on life-saving sunscreen creams.

Greg says “Most skin cancers are caused by unprotected exposure to the sun and in the UK there are 16,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed, with 2,300 people dying, every year. Almost all of these could be prevented by staying safe in the sun which is why I am calling, along with MPs from other political parties, for the Chancellor to scrap VAT on sunscreen rated ‘SPF 30’ or above.

The campaign is backed by health charities MelanomaUK, Cancer Research UK and the Teenage Cancer Trust. If successful, it would make the average bottle of sunscreen around £1.50 cheaper.

Sir Greg said: “I am calling for a relatively simple measure that, if rolled out, will not only help save lives but it will also save money in future NHS budgets.

He added: “I do not think that life-saving sun creams should be subject to the same VAT regime as cosmetics and other purely discretionary items”.