COASTGUARD STATIONS

Motion Text

That this House is alarmed by the Government's plans to close coastguard stations at Clyde, Forth, Yarmouth, Thames, Portland, Brixham, Solent, Swansea and Liverpool; notes that this would reduce the number of coastguard stations in the UK from 19 to 10 with aggregate job losses of over 140 and have a negative economic impact on coastal communities; is deeply concerned over the maritime and other safety implications of reducing the number of coastguard stations; recognises that technological advances offer some opportunity for rescues to be co-ordinated from a distance but does not believe that the case has been made by the Government to implement these changes; believes that technology should complement the knowledge of local coastal areas which coastguards possess, rather than supplant them; further notes that despite assurances that no closures will be made until the robustness of the new Maritime Operation Centre has been demonstrated, the closure of Clyde, Forth and Yarmouth will happen before it opens in 2014; and calls on the Government to ensure that no coastguard officer will be made redundant and to step back from this hazardous reduction in the number of local coastguard stations.