§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the recommendations contained within Lord Donaldson's report on a five-year strategy for HM Coastguard. [94509]
§ Mr. HillThe Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions accepts all of the recommendations contained in Lord Donaldson's Review of the Five-Year Strategy for HM Coastguard.
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§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if any dedicated frequencies are going to be allocated for marine safety information broadcasts; and if there have been any operational difficulties utilising existing frequencies for marine safety information broadcasts. [94646]
§ Mr. HillThe Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have applied to the Radio communications Agency for two additional VHF working frequencies which will be used primarily for Maritime Safety Information broadcasts. The MCA application was placed before the National Frequency Assignment Panel (NFAP) on Friday 15 October 1999.
Operational difficulties utilising those frequencies assigned to Maritime Safety Information broadcasts have been limited to some mutual interference between HM Coastguard transmissions and those of port operators in Clydeport, Liverpool and Medway. Those difficulties have been overcome by avoiding transmissions on a frequency in use by the other authority and HM Coastguard's use of an alternative working frequency not normally assigned to Maritime Safety Information.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how the new equipment used by HM Coastguard for Medilink Services varies from the original equipment used by BT coast radio stations; and what difficulties have been involved in its introduction. [94626]
§ Mr. HillThe Medilink equipment, known as TeleConnect, installed in HM Coastguard Co-ordination Centres is specifically designed for simplex communications. This mode of communications allows only one operator to speak at any time. Hospital medical staff who might not be familiar with this mode of communications have received appropriate training from HM Coastguard.
BT Coast Radio Stations were fitted with Medilink equipment which differs from HM Coastguard's equipment in that it provides duplex communications. This mode of communications is similar to that used, for instance, in normal telephone calls. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has applied to the Radio communications Agency for two of the hitherto BT duplex channels following closure of BT Coast Radio Stations.
No difficulties were encountered with the introduction of Medilink equipment into HM Coastguard Co-ordination Centres. The TeleConnect Units installed for Medilink purposes have been used successfully on each occasion medical advice has been sought by vessels at sea.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many incidents, by category, have been handled by each coastguard station during the last five years. [94644]
§ Mr. HillThe following tables detail incidents, by category, handled by each Coastguard station during the last five years.
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HM coastguard SAR activity: 1994 District Total incidents Assistance rendered Assistance not rendered Hoax Number assisted Number rescued Lives lost Aberdeen 362 164 193 5 447 375 7 Belfast 350 172 160 18 293 94 12 Brixham 690 445 236 9 712 295 4 Clyde 397 218 172 7 457 133 37 Dover 531 258 258 15 518 258 24 Falmouth 976 357 611 8 460 413 51 Forth 330 167 159 4 282 157 8 Holyhead 566 315 236 15 523 257 8 Humber 415 308 99 8 694 241 8 Liverpool 446 257 181 8 413 174 14 Milford Haven 444 241 197 6 277 213 5 Oban 235 180 52 3 335 123 4 Pentland 136 76 59 1 116 40 5 Portland 861 512 329 20 953 511 3 Shetland 152 124 27 1 384 111 4 Solent 1,188 728 426 34 1,465 429 32 Stornoway 198 123 72 3 182 119 9 Swansea 815 426 353 36 1,350 435 8 Thames 600 392 193 15 758 395 9 Tyne Tees 357 231 113 13 554 169 12 Yarmouth 360 197 146 17 495 113 8 Total 10,409 5,891 4,272 246 11,560 5,067 272
HM coastguard SAR activity: 1995 District Total incidents Assistance rendered Assistance not rendered Hoax Number assisted Number rescued Lives lost Aberdeen 568 246 305 17 1,201 675 16 Belfast 396 218 166 12 346 188 9 Brixham 768 499 256 13 616 535 15 Clyde 449 270 163 16 407 188 18 Dover 751 355 379 17 1,232 192 21 Falmouth 1,044 377 663 4 468 428 26 Forth 332 174 153 5 412 151 5 Holyhead 660 354 291 15 491 290 13 Humber 523 391 127 5 744 237 11 Liverpool 531 317 200 14 557 221 11 Milford Haven 561 289 255 17 443 222 8 Oban 288 209 73 6 371 133 8 Pentland 136 93 40 3 255 37 8 Portland 981 602 368 11 953 511 12 Shetland 226 178 48 0 301 134 4 Solent 1,279 828 420 31 1,610 480 13 Stornoway 242 169 70 3 249 149 14 Swansea 1,112 618 471 23 753 672 8 Thames 894 635 241 18 996 397 11 Tyne Tees 374 236 131 7 515 142 8 Yarmouth 578 247 317 14 851 155 6 Total 12,693 7,313 5,152 251 13,872 8,051 245 504W505W
HM coastguard SAR activity: 1996 District Total incidents Assistance rendered Assistance not rendered Hoax Number assisted Number rescued Lives lost Aberdeen 670 188 469 13 661 362 7 Belfast 303 174 114 15 362 96 5 Brixham 720 456 255 9 898 445 9 Clyde 415 256 150 9 392 171 18 Dover 559 258 294 7 1,625 140 13 Falmouth 895 345 544 6 578 331 31 Forth 316 160 137 19 240 158 11 Holyhead 553 322 210 21 495 247 4 Humber 508 375 129 4 683 272 11 Liverpool 523 274 235 14 419 161 12 Milford Haven 445 253 180 12 459 260 7 Oban 255 180 70 5 333 163 5 Pentland 133 85 46 2 216 28 4 Portland 874 548 318 8 845 405 8 Shetland 123 90 32 1 225 62 4
HM coastguard SAR activity: 1996 District Total incidents Assistance rendered Assistance not rendered Hoax Number assisted Number rescued Lives lost Solent 1,207 751 418 38 1,844 478 31 Stornoway 224 149 74 1 311 110 9 Swansea 958 515 411 32 562 504 10 Thames 771 512 252 7 2,298 380 6 Tyne Tees 334 219 98 17 463 125 6 Yarmouth 505 191 303 11 317 111 5 Total 11,291 6,301 4,739 251 14,226 5,009 216
HM coastguard SAR activity: 1997 District Total incidents Assistance rendered Assistance not rendered Hoax Number assisted Number rescued Lives lost Aberdeen 763 217 536 10 643 195 14 Belfast 292 167 113 12 333 95 10 Brixham 776 476 286 14 1,193 300 8 Clyde 457 267 176 14 565 197 15 Dover 619 266 340 13 420 116 15 Falmouth 975 357 612 6 351 264 64 Forth 330 176 149 5 343 144 9 Holyhead 638 384 239 15 480 354 8 Humber 489 331 153 5 761 262 9 Liverpool 691 351 321 19 821 201 8 Milford Haven 482 266 208 8 395 242 6 Oban 267 222 41 4 338 163 11 Pentland 140 101 39 0 307 55 7 Portland 814 494 307 13 722 353 10 Shetland 153 133 20 0 354 73 6 Solent 1,158 768 331 59 1,345 685 20 Stornoway 238 154 84 0 174 124 8 Swansea 795 471 309 15 567 496 11 Thames 705 476 196 33 833 425 4 Tyne Tees 378 256 108 14 568 158 3 Yarmouth 507 223 268 16 287 182 5 Total 11,667 6,556 4,836 275 11,800 5,084 251
HM coastguard SAR activity: 1998 District Total incidents Assistance rendered Assistance not rendered Hoax Number assisted Number rescued Lives lost Aberdeen 788 265 515 8 413 325 12 Belfast 251 161 78 12 420 112 4 Brixham 767 492 252 23 1,679 370 7 Clyde 394 198 185 11 407 131 8 Dover 681 353 315 13 1,259 105 38 Falmouth 915 278 628 9 351 306 25 Forth 267 156 107 4 244 177 5 Holyhead 558 288 259 11 374 243 9 Humber 507 335 164 8 1,130 254 11 Liverpool 724 385 324 15 707 207 6 Milford Haven 443 259 179 5 510 167 8 Oban 288 243 45 0 436 82 10 Pentland 111 77 33 1 138 43 4 Portland 790 458 311 21 662 424 8 Shetland 141 126 15 0 411 52 4 Solent 1,066 628 386 52 2,014 482 33 Stornoway 211 147 61 3 153 128 9 Swansea 849 444 383 22 1,119 247 11 Thames 729 484 235 10 971 247 14 Tyne Tees 442 256 169 17 769 136 16 Yarmouth 631 310 297 24 328 232 7 Total 11,553 6,343 4,941 269 14,495 4,470 249 Notes:
Assistance Rendered—SAR Unit despatched and rendered assistance to a casualty.
Assistance Not Rendered—SAR Unit called out or despatched but casualty resolved problem, others assisted first or False Alarm with Good Intent.
Hoax—SAR Unit Called Out or despatched based on call with Malicious Intent.
Persons Assisted—SAR Unit used to transfer or escort persons to safety but not from a life threatening situation.
Persons Rescued—SAR Unit used to evacuate or escort persons to safety where but for the intervention lives would probably have been lost.
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