§ Mr. SpellerTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any hoax telephone call or message was received on Wednesday 16 August 1989 which interfered with the search and rescue service in the Bristol channel area.
§ Mr. McLoughlinNationally some 30 per cent. of calls received by the coastguard are false alarms and a further 3 per cent. are "hoaxes", so officers must be alert to this possibility. However, there were no hoax calls or messages which interfered with search and rescue operation in the Swansea coastguard district on 16 August 1989.