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Previous Activities
Information
View The Following Campaign
Issues
Thalidomide Morale Obligations
Tax & Compensation Info
Thalidomide UK Campaign
Record
(the following information is based on facts)
Saturday 23rd October 1993
Freddie Astbury Founded Thalidomide Action Group UK
(Thalidomide UK)
Friday 24th December 1993
Freddie Astbury Starts Hunger Strike on Christmas Eve
Campaign Issue Diageo: Trust Was Running Out of Money
Thursday 4th May 1995
Diageo Donates £2.5M for the next fifteen years 1995 to 2009
Wednesday 23rd August 1995
Thalidomide UK Launch Campaign Against the Government
Campaign Issue Government: Tax Exemption of The Thalidomide
Trust
Wednesday 5th June 1996
Government Donates Announces Its to £7M one of payment
(no clear reason was given by the government for donation)
Thursday 29th February 2000
Thalidomide UK Launch Boycott against Diageo/Guinness
(Support by Celebrities Westlife, Ronan Keating and Michael
Owen)
(Robbie Fowler & Prince Naseem)
Monday 10th April 2000
Thalidomide UK Launch Scottish Boycott
(Support by Footballer Paul Gascoigne)
(Scottish Members of Parliament All Parties)
Campaign Issue Diageo: Thalidomide Victim Health Deterate
Thursday 1st June 2000
Diageo PLC agrees to extend the companys payments to the
Trust of £2.5 million per year beyond 2009, up to the year
2022. Diageo also agreed to index link this payment from
April 2000 in line with the annual increase in the UK Retail
Price Index.
Tuesday 7th October 2003
Press Conference: Thalidomiders - Unfair Tax
Freddie Astbury (Thalidomide UK) & Michael Howard
(Conservative Leader)
Dr Martin Johnson (Director The Thalidomide Trust) and other
Beneficiaries attended
Campaign Issue (Re-launch): Tax Exemption for Beneficiaries
of The Thalidomide Trust
Two of our fellow thalidomiders Nicholas Dobrik & Guy Tweedy
help lead the campaign in parliament by writing over 3,500
letters to Lords, MPs, and beneficiaries.
Thursday 15th July 2004
Government gives Tax Exemption to Beneficiaries of The
Thalidomide Trust.
Thalidomide
UK Existing Campaigns
Unfair
Tax
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Thalidomide people are taxed at 34% on income payments they
receive from their trust fund (The Thalidomide Trust),
however a certain percentage can be claimed back. However
items relating to their disabilities i.e. adaptation are tax
exempted. Thalidomide people campaigns for total tax
exemption.
Government
Compensation
·
In 1958 the drug thalidomide was given a product license in
the UK. The Department of Health reassured the public that
the drug was safe to be given to women during pregnancy.
Instead the drug caused over 3,500 deaths in babies and left
a further 500 survivors to be born without missing limbs,
including internal deformities. Thalidomide people wants the
government to pay compensation. other European states have
already paid compensation to thalidomide victims in the 60s.
Distillers/Diageo
·
The original manufactures of the drug thalidomide was
Distillers Biochemical Ltd. Distillers was taken-over by
Guinness in 1985. Diageo was formed in December 1997 through
the merger of GrandMet and Guinness. These companies are
still paying new claimants who are still proving that their
disabilities were caused by the drug thalidomide between
1958/62. Thalidomide people have never received adequate
settlements when you consider many that where born with
missing limbs, so they fight on.
The Use of the Drug Today
·
Today the drug thalidomide is used for a number of
illnesses. Thalidomide UK continue to monitor the drug and
campaigns for stricter guidelines. We are not against the
use of the drug has long as safety comes before profits and
it is never given to male/female during pregnancy.
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