§ Mr. Milneasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what recommendations his Department will be making to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution arising from recommendations in the report on the Fraserburgh Lifeboat tragedy.
(2) what talks he intends having with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution following the report on the Fraserburgh Lifeboat disaster.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThe Executive Committee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on 22nd October issued a statement of the action they have initiated following the report of the court into the accident to the Fraserburgh lifeboat, and I am keeping in touch with the Institution about these developments. Arrangements have been made with the Institution that the Government will continue to co-operate with it, as recommended in the report, by making available to the Institution the expert knowledge, experience and facilities available in research establishments and in the Marine Division of the Department, insofar as 235W these are relevant, on design of lifeboats in relation to their rôle in the varying sea conditions round our coasts.
The Department will also have early talks with the Institution as with other authorities concerned, following the recommendation in the report about the organisation of marine search and rescue.
I have particularly in mind the Government's direct responsibility for the rôle of the Coastguard. This was described in the Report of the Committee to review the Marine Search and Rescue Organisation of the United Kingdom, published earlier this year.