Mountaineering Accidents (Hansard, 17 April 2002)

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, during the years 1997 to 2000, there was an average of 58 fatalities a year on British mountains. The data are compiled by the Mountain Rescue Council of England and Wales and the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, and they have produced a provisional figure for 2001 of 47 fatalities. The Government are concerned at the loss of life on British mountains and urge all who go on to the mountains to take sensible safety precautions.

§ Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. Does he agree that the number of people losing their lives on our hills and mountains is unacceptably high and that the loss of life and the level of injury far exceed that for any other sport or outdoor activity? Can we improve the information available to walkers and climbers, particularly information about weather conditions, the level of risk that they face on the mountains and the jeopardy in which they place themselves and our excellent emergency rescue services?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, I agree that the situation is undesirable. Every one of those deaths represents a personal tragedy for family and friends. But the figures do not far exceed those for deaths in other sports. In fact, the number who drown—100 people every year—is substantially higher.
I agree with my noble friend that the provision of information—about the weather conditions and the terrain—is important, so that walkers are well prepared to make informed judgments about the level of risk to which they are exposed. There is already a range of good quality information and advice available. There is an avalanche warning system for the Cairngorms, and weather information relating to the Lake District and other areas is generally available by telephone. The UK Government and the Scottish Executive will, I am sure, continue to support the excellent voluntary work done by so many people to help people in difficult circumstances.

§ Baroness Trumpington
My Lords, the Minister said that people were putting themselves at risk. Does he agree that they put other people at risk besides themselves? Is there some way of organising a test for people who climb mountains, so that they can do so without causing many other people to risk their lives looking for them?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, at one level, the noble Baroness is right. If rescuers have to go out into the high Cairngorms in a blizzard in February to get someone out of an ice gully, they will face a degree of risk; it is dangerous. On the other hand, the Government would be wise to listen to the considerable depth of experience in the British Mountaineering Council and the safety bodies that regulate mountaineering. They strongly support the retention of the voluntary principle. They do not want the mountains closed or restricted to people who have passed fitness tests. They want people to enjoy the high mountains so long as they have proper experience and have been trained for the relevant level of risk. We must listen to their advice, and there are mechanisms to ensure that that is possible.

§ Lady Saltoun of Abernethy
My Lords, as someone who lives in the Cairngorms, I ask the Minister whether he is aware that the Mountaineering Council of Scotland believes that the way forward is through educating people planning to go into the hills about the hazards and about the safety practices they should observe. The council's ability to do that is severely limited by lack of funding. Is there any way that more funding could be made available by the Government or even the possibility of lottery funding?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, because the Question referred to Britain, I answered in respect of Britain. I am cautious about being drawn too far into issues that are the province of the Scottish people and the Scottish Parliament. I agree with the noble Lady that the provision of information is important. The Scottish Mountain Safety Forum is, I am told, publishing an educational film on mountain safety. It will be launched in Inverness at the end of April. I had not heard that there was strong feeling about an acute shortage of funding. No doubt, the Scottish Parliament would be interested in such representations, if made.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, does the Minister agree that one of the worst problems faced by rescue teams is that they do not know where missing people are? There should be a simple electronic device that walkers could carry which would enable rescue teams to reach them, thus avoiding an enormous waste of time, as is often the case today.

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord that it is a major problem when a mountain rescue team takes a call—increasingly from a mobile phone—notifying it that someone is in distress. The caller may fail to give an accurate grid reference or any grid reference at all. In practice, the devices referred to by 937 the noble Lord are available. I believe that there are geo-positional instruments costing around £100 which give an accurate reading of where you are. There are pros and cons to that argument. Relying on such technology because of an inability to read a map properly is also, I think, not wise. However, what the noble Lord has recommended is available for walkers if they want it.

§ Lord Campbell-Savours
My Lords, my noble friend will know that I live in the heart of the Lake District. Can I tell my noble friend that a mass of information is made available? Walkers do not need training, advice or regulation. All walkers need to use is their common sense.

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, yes, but, as we well know, that is the scarcest commodity of all. Broadly, I agree with my noble friend. Certainly, when I walk in the Lakes or in Scotland, I carry in my rucksack the relevant card giving the phone number for information about weather conditions in the area. It is extremely easy to call beforehand and get such information. However, I disagree with my noble friend to the extent that clearly there is still loss of life, some, but not all, of which is avoidable, and some of which could be reduced if better information and promotion were available.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, in the past, lives have been lost in the Cairngorms in April due to the arrival of sudden blizzards?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, yes. Anyone who has visited the high mountains knows that some of the best possible walking weather occurs at Easter when frequently one is able to walk in snow and ice. If one is suitably experienced and prepared, it is wonderful walking. However, the inexperienced can easily assume that, once the worst of the winter is over, the high mountains will be warm and sunny and consistently so. The danger arises when the weather changes suddenly. Inexperienced walkers go out ill-equipped with food and equipment believing it impossible that they could suddenly be freezing.