QUARRY TAX CON BY LIB DEMS (22/04/02)

Councillor Tim Carroll’s trumpeting of the benefits of a new quarry tax fail to give a true picture

Conservative County Councillors wish to draw public attention to this scam.

Somerset quarries have to pay £1.60 per ton. Their output is over 20 million tonnes each year. Consequently, Somerset quarries contribute £30 million annually to the country’s Exchequer.

Conservative County Councillor for Mendip North East, Mike St John, said, ‘As usual, Mr Brown has taken us for a ride. Of that huge sum paid by the county, just £300,000 will come back to Somerset.

‘This money is intended for Somerset to mitigate the damage done to the local environment. Quarries cause damage to the surrounding area. The tax they pay is meant to go towards community projects in the area.

‘Mr Carroll is misleading the public. We pay out £30 million. We get back £300,000. Not exactly a fair deal is it?

’Lib Dems should be doing their duty to the people of Somerset by fighting this pathetic Government handout. They should insist that the Mendip community receives the true value of what they pay out.

‘I am quite astonished that he is “welcoming the news”. Conservatives are demanding more. Once again Somerset is ripped off by this Government. Once again, the Liberal Democrats aid them in this matter.’