LOCAL MPs PRESENT CHRISTIE PETITION TO 10 DOWNING STREET
May 7, 2009 5:13 PM
Andrew Stunell hands in the "Cash Back for Christie" Petition at Downing St.
Today Mark Hunter MP for Cheadle and Andrew Stunell MP for Hazel Grove joined other MPs and local campaigners to present the 'Cash Back for Christie' petition to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street.
Due to the collapse of the Icelandic Bank (Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander) The Christie, a local cancer charity and hospital, stand to lose £6.5 million of donations and investments that would have helped pay for research into cancer and treatment of cancer patients.
The petition, which both MPs have signed and which has already gained over 100,000 signatures "demands that the Financial Services Compensation Scheme reimburses The Christie hospital with the £6.5 million lost in the Icelandic banking collapse".
Commenting Mark Hunter MP said:
"The Government has not done enough to ensure that the money lost by The Christie and other charities is returned. The decision by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme to not reimburse the money is scandalous and I've been pressing the Government to take decisive action for some time.
"I've met with the Minister about the urgent need for a full refund and asked for a debate on the issue in the House of Commons - but the Government just don't want to listen. I hope that the support on this petition will finally convince the Prime Minister of the real strength of feeling about this excellent local charity.
Andrew Stunell MP added:
"The Christie plays a vital role not only in our community by helping those locally suffering from asthma but nationally as a specialist referral centre and internationally as a leader in cancer research. These services need to be protected by the Government - as do the donations that the public made to the charity believing these could be spent on saving lives.
"It is the cancer patients and their families who are ultimately going to suffer if the money is not returned to The Christie. The 100,000 signatures on this petition are testament to the outrage that local people feel about the FSCS's decision and the Government lack of action."
ENDS
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