§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the responsibility of Commander Ancona with respect to the Subfacts scheme; to whom he is directly responsible; and what is the working relationship of Her Majesty's Coastguard with the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence in the operation of the scheme;
(2) what representations he has received concerning the comments of Commander Ancona of Her Majesty's Coastguard regarding the operation of the Subfacts notification scheme; what action he has taken as a result; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NorrisCommander Ancona as Chief Coastguard is head of Her Majesty's Coastguard which, as part of marine directorate of the Department of Transport, is responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of civil maritime search and rescue (SAR). He is directly responsible to the director of marine emergency operations. Responsibility for fishing vessel safety rests with the surveyor general's organisation within the Department.
Following the sinking of the fishing vessel Antares in November 1990, the Chief Coastguard, agreed to HM Coastguard broadcasting Subfacts information for the inner Clyde submarine exercise areas on behalf of MOD. The scheme was subsequently extended to the outer Clyde, and Rona and Raasay exercise areas. The Royal Navy under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence provides HM Coastguard rescue centres Clyde, Oban and Belfast with Subfacts information, which is broadcast on marine VHF 6 times per day at staggered four-hourly intervals from several aerials. Subsequently consideration has been given to the most appropriate way of continuing to promulgate this information to fishermen.