§ Mr. MuddTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the manpower ceiling imposed on Her Majesty's coastguard is adeqate to realise maximum benefit from increased communications and technological equipment being installed in operations rooms around the coast; and to what extent funding to the coastguard, in real terms, has risen to meet the increase in recorded incidents.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that the manpower ceiling imposed on Her Majesty's coastguard is adequate to realize maximum benefit from the communications equipment and new technology being fitted in operations rooms; and whether the funding of Her Majesty's coastguard has risen in real terms.
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§ Mr. Peter BottomleyCoastguard manpower is kept under constant review, taking account of developing technology. As regards funding I refer to the answer given today to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. MuddTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the expenditure incurred by Her Majesty's coastguard over each of the last five financial years; and what percentage of his Department's budget that involved in each of those years.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the expenditure incurred by Her Majesty's coastguard over the past five years and the percentage of his Department's budget that represented.
§ Mr. PortilloSince 1983–84 expenditure on Her Majesty's coastguard has increased by some £9.9 million or 70.59 per cent. In the same five-year period expenditure by the Department overall has increased by £516.8 million or 26.35 per cent. The proportion of the Department's expenditure devoted to Her Majesty's coastguard has therefore increased from 0.72 per cent. to 0.97 per cent. Fuller details are given in the following table:
(a) HM Coastguard expenditure (£ million) (b) Department of Transport expenditure (£ million) (c): (a) as a proportion of (b) (per cent.) 1983/84 14.06 1,960.95 0.72 1984/85 18.66 2,031.50 0.92 1985/86 21.57 2,446.05 0.88 1986/87 21.80 2,376.59 0.92 1987/88 23.99 2,477.76 0.97
§ Mr. MuddTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail the anticipated cost of overtime working in Her Majesty's coastguard in the financial year 1988–89; what percentage increase this represents over 1987–88; and what percentage of his Department's total overtime bill this represents.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will give details of the cost of overtime working by civil servants in Her Majesty's coastguard between 1979 and 1988 and of the percentage of his Department's total overtime bill this represented in each year;
(2) if he will give details of the anticipated cost of overtime working in Her Majesty's coastguard in the financial year 1988–89 and the percentage change this represents over the financial year 1987–88; and what percentage of his Department's overtime bill this represents.
§ Mr. PortilloThe information is as follows:
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Overtime working: percentage increase, and percentage of total departmental overtime bill 1985—86 £ 1986—87 £ 1987—88 £ 19880—89 (Outturn forecast) HMCG 648.011 699.792 714.049 789.000 DTp total (including DVL) 1,375.397 1,538.851 1,545.074 n/a Percentage change over previous year — +8.0 +2.0 +10 Percentage of Departmental total 47 45 46 — Figures before financial year 1985–86 are not readily available.
§ Mr. MuddTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail, in theOfficial Report, the recruitment procedure used by Her Majesty's coastguard to replace essential staff when, in the case of such staff, the retirement date is known in advance.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide details of the recruitment procedures used by Her Majesty's coastguard to replace essential staff whose retirement date is known in advance.
§ Mr. PortilloAll recruitment into Her Majesty's coastguard occurs in the basic grade of coastguard officer. Recruitment campaigns are, as far as possible, linked to projected vacancies and advertisements are placed in appropriate newspapers and journals which set out the qualifications and experience required. Following interview successful candidates are offered posts accordingly.
§ Mr. MuddTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, following the introduction of the CG66 scheme encouraging small boatmen and yachtsmen to equip themselves with VHF radio, he plans to withdraw travel routing and weather forecasting services on request as currently provided by Her Majesty's coastguard.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, following the introduction of the CG66 scheme encouraging small boatmen and yachtsmen to fit VHF radio, it is his intention to withdraw the travel routing and weather forecasts on request currently provided by Her Majesty's coastguard.
§ Mr. PortilloThe travel routing is provided by the coast radio stations operated by British Telecom. There are no plans to withdraw any of the radio services currently provided by Her Majesty's coastguard, including weather forecasts.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the number of incidents handled and the number of lives saved over the past five years by the coastguard stations at Hartland, Ramsey and Peterhead.
§ Mr. PortilloStatistical records kept by Her Majesty's coastguard express casualties as persons assisted rather than lives saved. Details are as follows:
1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Hartland Number of incidents 195 219 175 214 157 Persons assisted 341 311 235 324 198 Ramsey Number of incidents 92 118 136 106 126 Persons assisted 144 151 185 182 185 Peterhead Number of incidents 52 91 77 92 109 Persons assisted 104 213 124 141 192
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the amount and cost of overtime worked by coastguards at Hartland, Ramsey and Peterhead and at Swansea, Liverpool and Aberdeen over the past five years; and whether his Department has assessed what increased overtime working will be necessary at Swansea, Liverpool and Aberdeen if the proposed changes are implemented.
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§ Mr. PortilloRecords of overtime working at indvidual coastguard stations are not available. No increase in overtime at Swansea, Liverpool and Aberdeen is anticipated because of the redeployment of staff to those stations.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the cost of non-SAR services, those listed as miscellaneous in the duties appropriate to Her Majesty's coastguard; who will carry out such community responsibilities if they are withdrawn from Her Majesty's coastguard; how they will be funded; and if he will make it his policy to ensure that such costs will not fall on coastal authorities.
§ Mr. PortilloThe costs of those services known as miscellaneous duties provided by Her Majesty's coastguard are small and not separately identified. There are no plans to change coastguard responsibilities in this respect.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide details of the numbers, grades and experience of the coastguards who are to augment the district staffing levels at Swansea, Liverpool and Aberdeen if the proposed closures of Hartland, Ramsey and Peterhead are implemented.
§ Mr. PortilloFollowing is the information:
Coastguard district Staffing levels Experience Aberdeen 1 Station officer 10 years 5 Coastguard officers Ranging from 16 years to new entrants Swansea 2 Senior coastguard officers 13 and 8 years 4 Coastguard officers Ranging from over 3 years to 1 year Liverpool 1 Senior coastguard officer 10 years 1 Coastguard officer 2 years
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give a precise breakdown of the cost savings which will be achieved by the proposed closures of Hartland, Ramsey and Peterhead stations and the offsetting costs resulting from augmenting SAR resources at Swansea, Liverpool and Aberdeen.
§ Mr. PortilloA breakdown of the continuing cost savings on Her Majesty's coastguard's budget is:
£ Salaries 387,000 Overtime 60,000 Auxiliary coastguard payments 52,000 Private wires and BT rental/call charges 65,000 Miscellaneous, (training, postage etc.) 45,000 609,000 This takes into account the additional posts at Swansea, Liverpool and Aberdeen. In addition, other savings to the Department of Transport generally, will include:
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£ Common Services 91,680 Accommodation 44,000 135,680 There are certain once only costs associated with transfer of resources, which cannot be finalised at this stage.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how any safety recommendations arising from the Piper Alpha inquiry that require improved manpower, equipment and other resources for Her Majesty's coastguard will be implemented.
§ Mr. PortilloUntil the results of the inquiry are known, it is not possible to state how any recommendations might be implemented.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the procedure for consultation with local Members of Parliament, local councils, fishermen, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, tourist authorities, coastguard unions and others, before any decision is taken to close a coastguard station.
§ Mr. PortilloThere is full consultation with the organisations referred to about the implications of any significant charges proposed for coastguard service.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of power failures and total communications breakdowns, such as those at Liverpool and Oban coastguard stations recently, over the past five years; and if he will take steps to ensure that similar occurrences in the future will not result in more deaths in coastal waters.
§ Mr. PortilloThe rescue centres at Liverpool and Oban suffered partial breakdown in communication facilities which were quickly restored. No coastguard rescue centres have suffered power and total communication failures over the past five years. Essential systems are duplicated. Fail-safe line systems, overlapping radio cover, emergency power supplies at remote sites and in operations centres complement contingency plans which seek to cater for any disruption of SAR tasks.
§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, since his announcement concerning closures of coastguard stations,Official Report, 21 March, columns 42–43, he has met representatives of the coastguard's trade union and the National Union of Civil and Public Servants; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PortilloNo, but several meetings between union representatives and officials of the Department have taken place.