16.03.07
SUPERDRUG SENDS GORDON 2,000 RED NOSES
To celebrate Comic Relief Superdrug delivers red noses to HM Treasury
To celebrate Comic Relief this morning (16th March) Superdrug has donated £2,000 and is delivered 2,000 red noses to The Chancellor in support of its ongoing campaign to see the VAT cut on children’s sun care.
2,000 represents the number of Britons who have died of melanoma since the last budget. 90,000 Britons are diagnosed with new cases of skin cancer each year.
The use of high factor sun protection is the best way to ensure that British children do not get red noses in the sun this summer.
Superdrug has finally received a reply to its letters to Mr Brown asking him if he thought that children’s sun care should be classed as a luxury item. Unfortunately this letter did not answer Superdrug’s question, leaving the retailer wondering what the Government’s position is on this important issue.
Superdrug also wrote to Prime Minister, who replied saying that it was a matter for the Treasury, the retailer is waiting for a response from Patricia Hewitt.
This week Superdrug has again written to Gordon Brown and the Paymaster General Dawn Primarolo advising them that in the next seven days to the Budget around 40 people will die of melanoma.
Jeff Wemyss, Superdrug Beauty Director, said: “Cutting the VAT on children’s sun care will make a real difference to the nation’s health this summer. We are delighted to make a donation to Comic Relief, and if these red noses help The Chancellor take notice of this important issue then that will make me smile.”
The campaign which launched in July 2006, already has the support of 70 MPs and over 4,000 Superdrug customers who have signed an online petition. An epetition on the Number 10 website was launched this February (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SUNTAXCUT/).
Since the campaign launched Superdrug has been paying the VAT on its own
range of children’s sun care so customers don’t have to.