Say No To New Tax On Dinghies And Yachts: MEP Says 'Unfair And Costly'

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 25th Apr 2003

Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat MEP for Hampshire, warned today that ministers are considering a special charge on owners of boats and dinghies that would penalise thousands of people along the south coast.

Mr Huhne said that proposed tax on pleasure craft - floated in a government consultation document from the Department of Transport - would be 'ridiculously costly to collect and would involve many weekend sailors forking out for services they do not use'.

Mr Huhne was joined today by fellow campaigners against the proposed tax at Hamble on the Solent, the headquarters of the Royal Yachting Association that opposes the charges (see photos sent separately).

Mr Huhne said the Government review follows pressure from big shipping companies who want to share the cost of navigation aids like lighthouses provided by Trinity House. Ships pay about £16,000 a year.

But Mr Huhne pointed out: 'Most pleasure users do not stray far from shore, and use their own charts and harbour buoys whose cost is included in port charges.

'There are about four million small boats in Britain, and only some 200,000 are registered usually because they sail out of British waters. The proposal for 'light dues' would either involve a bureaucratic registration scheme for everybody - or a disincentive to register for those that do'.

'No other EU country levies such dues on pleasure craft - in addition to the harbour charges already paid - and ministers should not give any houseroom to the ministry killjoys who want to tax innocent pleasures like weekend boating and sailing' said Mr Huhne.

'The proposed charge is a particular nonsense for the Solent - the centre of sailing for pleasure in Britain. Harbour authority responsibilities cover the entire width of the Solent and the harbour authorities mark most hazards and provide all required aids to navigate into port.

'Although the main channel north of the Isle of Wight is a recognised general navigation route maintained by the general lighthouse authorities, small boats are likely to avoid it like the plague to keep away from commercial vessels' said Mr Huhne. 'Why should they pay for it?'

'The cost of collection and registration for any scheme would be astronomic as there are thousands of small craft which seldom sail and lots of shallow draft craft which do not use recognised channels when they do venture out. Enforcing such a boat tax would be a nightmare' said Mr Huhne.