HC Deb 27 January 1982 vol 16 cc349-50W
Mr. Prescott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many homes are available to the coastguard services for its personnel; how many are occupied; and if it is his policy to sell them to the sitting tenant.

Mr. Sproat

There are at present 482 houses available for Her Majesty's Coastguard, of which 407 are occupied. The sale of surplus houses is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment.

Mr. Prescott

asked the Secretary of State for Trade what departmental investigations have been undertaken into the organisation of the coastguard since 1970; what were their principal recommendations; and what action was taken on them.

Mr. Sproat

The organisation of Her Majesty's coastguard was reviewed in 1974 and 1978. The 1974—Lavers—report recommended that

  1. (i) the primary role of Her Majesty's coastguard to initiate and co-ordinate civil maritime search and rescue throughout the United Kingdom search and rescue region should be defined in statute;
  2. (ii) the regular manpower should be concentrated in the 28 rescue headquarters, which were being progressively reequipped to provide continous radio watch along the entire coast of the United Kingdom;
  3. (iii) these rescue headquarters should be grouped in regions under regional controllers;
  4. (iv) until such time as all the functions of the rescue headquarters could be fully carried out by regular officers, auxiliary coastguards should be used to assist them;
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  5. (v) the subsidiary stations should be grouped in sectors, in units manned by auxiliaries, under the general supervision of regular officers;
  6. (vi) the role of the auxiliary coastguard service should be to maintain an effective local presence on the coast and to assist the regular coastguard service as required.

With the exception of legislation to define the primary role of Her Majesty's coastguard, these recommendations were accepted in principle and have been substantially implemented.

The 1978 review was chiefly concerned with grading, definition of duties, and complementing; it also made certain administrative recommendations concerning coastguard headquarters. Its findings, too, have been substantially implemented.

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