§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce arrangements, and the date of commencement, for the stationing of a military helicopter on the west coast of Scotland to be available for search and rescue work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 18 February 1987 at columns627–28.
§ Mr. Maclennanasked the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland, 18 February, Official Report, column 687, he will state the time when (a) the alarm 265W signal from the Guide Onward was initially received at Pentland Station, (b) information regarding the incident aboard the vessel was first logged at Edinburgh rescue coordination centre and (c) the rescue co-ordination centre called out the Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth.
§ Mr. FreemanA distress message from the fishing vessel Guide Onward was received by the Pentland maritime rescue sub-centre at 10.13 pm on 14 February 1987. Information about the incident was then passed to the rescue co-ordination centre at Edinburgh at 10.17 pm, following which the rescue co-ordination centre called out a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth at 10.19 pm.