RNLI could be crippled by taxation - have your say!

[wanderingblade]

The RNLI are under threat of being hammered by a new OFCOM proposal - there are plans to introduce a scheme known as Administered Incentivised Pricing which will see the RNLI's radio operators licence rise form £40k per year to £260k per year!

Obviously this will hammer services across the board - have your say and sign the petition today!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences/

 

[calibanzwei]

I've signed!

 

[Scouter]

Signed
40k is a disgrace !

 

[Tadpole]

Older than the internet.
Ofcom released a 'position' statement, in December 2008 which it said that it supported the "established principle of applying discounts to spectrum fees payable by charities". OFCOM
This means the RNLI might actually see its charges fall as a result of the consultation to as little as £20,000.

Which despite the RNLI being happy to pay 40k a year or two a year ago, now says
"While the charity welcomes these proposals, ideally it would like to see a complete exemption from AIP or a 100% discount,"

 

[belzeebob23]

WHAT its bad enough that its funded by puplic donation now the goverment are trying to take peoples hard earned money out of the RNLI by a stealth tax

 

[sam_acw]

Lets face it, it is a public service that is funded through donations not the state. The government could at least give them a helping hand in tax and licensing.

 

[EdS]

ke MRT RNLI do not pay to use the Search and Rescue channels held by MCA. it is other channels that they will/may pay for. It is channels used by "teams" in their own anme that will be paid for, as they are now.

Most radio channels used by search and rescue teams are assigned to, and paid for by, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) which is an executive agency of the Department for Transport funded by general taxation. The fees which the MCA pays for these channels already reflect the value of the spectrum (rather than just the administrative cost of processing licences). So there is unlikely to be any significant increase, if any, in what the MCA pays for these search and rescue channels.

Mountain rescue teams are covered by these arrangements with MCA and do not pay any fees for the use of these channels. Ofcom has no plans to impose a charge on mountain rescue teams for the use of these channels.

The RNLI uses some of the search and rescue radio channels held by the MCA. Ofcom has no plans to impose a charge on RNLI for the use of these channels either.

The RNLI and some other maritime rescue organisations are also licensed to use specific communications channels in their own right. Like other users they currently pay fees for those radio channels, but as a charity they enjoy a 50% discount. Ofcom has proposed that the basis on which fees for some maritime radio channels are set should be changed. There is understandable concern about the possible impact on the RNLI.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/update201008/

Not wishing to do down the good folks of the RNLI but finacially they ae better of than individual MR teams and MR (E&W) and MRS by a long chalk.