CHANCELLOR George Osborne is under mounting pressure to dump a damaging tax on flying.
In a new report, the Northern Ireland affairs committee said air passenger duty (APD) should be abolished on all flights leaving the province and direct services in to help the province’s economy.
Committee member Stephen Hepburn, Labour MP for Jarrow, said the North East was in a “similar boat” to Northern Ireland – and has called on Ministers to revise APD.
The pressure for a major rethink over the levy comes as The Journal’s A Tax Too Far Campaign has highlighted the damaging effect of APD on the region’s air links and economy.
Earlier this week, the Commons environmental audit committee claimed APD was undermining public confidence in green taxes – with the Treasury appearing to use them as tools to raise cash rather than help the environment.
Mr Hepburn said: “Pressure to revise the air passenger duty is growing with the publication by another report from a cross-party Commons select committee.
“The environmental audit committee has already slammed APD as a revenue-raiser rather than a proper green tax.”
He added: “The Northern Ireland committee is now doing the same. As a member of the Northern Ireland committee and as a North East MP, I have examined this issue with great care.
