Autumn Statement in the West Country
The Chancellor has delivered his final Autumn Statement before the General Election, during which he announced that economic growth would be higher than expected this year, as would government borrowing.
VAT refunds for air ambulances and rescue helicopters
As part of the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor is to announce VAT refunds for Search and Rescue and Air Ambulance charities alongside £7.5 million extra support for air ambulances.
The VAT refunds will be worth £25 million over 5 years.
It is in response to the service the UK’s Search and Rescue and Air Ambulance charities provide, volunteering their time and expertise to support to emergency services.
At the moment, most Search and Rescue and Air Ambulance charities cannot claim VAT back on their search and rescue activities but this means they will all be able to apply for VAT refunds for them as of 1 April 2015.
The Chancellor is also due to announce £1m for Great Western Air Ambulance, which will pay for the new helicopter's running costs in its first year of operation.
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What does the Autumn Statement mean for you?
Coming less than six months before an election, it was always likely that George Osborne would include a few voter-friendly measures.