HC Deb 02 February 1993 vol 218 cc156-7W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given by his Department to the level of investment in specialist training and equipment undertaken to date by Dyfed county fire brigade to deal with offshore emergencies in tandem with the search and rescue helicopter squadron at RAF Brawdy within his Department's review of the search and rescue service.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The level of investment in specialist training and equipment, by Dyfed county fire brigade is a matter for that brigade.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consideration was given to the overlapping of circles of coverage in his Department's review of the search and rescue service in the United Kingdom;

(2) what assessment has been made by his Department of the impact of a withdrawal of the search and rescue helicopter squadron from RAF Brawdy upon response times in dealing with coastal and offshore emergencies in and around the Ceredigion and Pembroke, North constituency.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

I refer the hon. Member to 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.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the average response time taken by Sea King helicopters from RAF Brawdy to reach the scene of a coastal or offshore emergency in and around the Ceredigion and Pembroke, North Constituency in each of the last three years; and if he will publish estimated response times for helicopters from(a) RAF Chivenor and (b) RAF Valley to reach future coastal or offshore emergencies in or near the constituency.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Information on average response time taken by Sea King helicopters from RAF Brawdy for the area and period in question can be provided only at disproportionate cost. For future estimated response times from RAF Chivenor and RAF Valley, I refer the hon. Member to the open government document "The Future Provision of RAF Search and Rescue Helicopters", a copy of which is in the Library of the House and which shows that the civil search and rescue criteria will be met.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what research has been conducted by his Department on the effect of withdrawing the search and rescue helicopter squadron from RAF Brawdy upon established contingency plans drawn up by the Dyfed fire brigade to deal with offshore emergencies;

(2) what assessment has been made by his Department into the effect of withdrawing the search and rescue helicopter squadron from RAF Brawdy upon the training needs of local county fire fighters in tackling offshore emergencies.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

None. The RAF search and rescue helicopter flight will continue to assist fire brigades in their training for dealing with offshore emergencies when this flight is transferred from RAF Brawdy to RAF Chivenor.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of lives saved in and around the Ceredigion and Pembroke, North constituency in each of the last five years, as a result of the response of the search and rescue helicopter Squadron at RAF Brawdy.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

Such estimates are not made. For information on the number of call-outs involving the rescue of people I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 2 November 1992 at column51–2.

Mr. Ainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long a person could be immersed in water at(a) 6°C and (b) 7°C before experiencing at least a 50 per cent. chance of becoming unconscious; and how rapidly, in percentage terms, their chances of survival would thereafter diminish.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

I refer the hon. Member to the 1986 report of the United Kingdom civil rescue helicopter coverage working group, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.