Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Diane Abbott.
Diane Abbott, the Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in England, met with Treasury Ministers this week to press for concessions in the controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD).
This week Ms Abbott organised a cross-party delegation of MPs and Peers including Sir Alan Haselhurst MP and Labour and Conservative MPs.
Treasury ministers agreed to meet with the delegation following discussions between the British Caribbean APPG and various diplomats from the Caribbean area last month.
“Britain's budget is in two weeks. So I was keen to speak to Treasury Ministers and press them for concessions on APD in the budget. Those of us who represent Caribbean communities here in the UK know what a huge burden this tax is for the Caribbean diaspora when they return home,”
“Caribbean Tourism Ministers have very clearly set out how the tax is affecting the tourism industry in the region. It is clear that the current system for air passenger duty is unfair, unpopular and succeeds only in providing the British Treasury with a tidy sum at the end of the tax year,” she said.
The APD has been a contentious issue, particularly for long haul fliers, due to its inconsistent pricing bands.
The duty has hit the Caribbean's tourist industry particularly hard.
“Members from all parties have spoken out about APD. It disadvantages individuals including the many people in Hackney who may travel to the Caribbean on holiday or to visit family, and also disadvantages small and medium sized businesses. In some cases it actually diverts business away from our shores," she said.
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