§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his announcement about the future of the search and rescue forces on 21 October, what steps he is taking to ensure that the standards for rescue at sea as set by the United Kingdom search and rescue committee will not be breached; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe future RAF search and rescue (SAR) helicopter force will make virtually the same 511W contribution as now to meeting the helicopter coverage group criteria for SAR helicopter coverage around the United Kingdom for civil marine and aviation purposes. The rationale for and implications of the changes in the force are set out in the open Government document "The Future Provision of Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Helicopters", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bases where he expects to deploy the six Sea King HAR 3 helicopters for the search and rescue service, which were ordered in 1991–92 with the in-service date of 1996; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonI refer the hon. Member to the open government document "The Future Provision of Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Helicopters", a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House.
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the organisations with whom he consulted about the review of the search and rescue service and the subsequent decisions announced by him on 21 October.
§ Mr. Archie HamiltonThe organisations consulted were the Government Departments with a functional or regional interest in search and rescue matters: the Department of Transport and Home Office, the Welsh, Scottish, Northern Ireland and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices, and the Treasury.