§ Mr. WallaceTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what will be the proposed staffing arrangements at(a) Lerwick coastguard station and (b) Pentland coastguard station following the introduction of coastguard watch assistants; [8469]
(2) what were the recommended levels of staffing at (a) Lerwick coastguard station and (b) Pentland coastguard station on 1 December 1996; [8468]
(3) how many full-time and part-time coastguard officers, at each grade, were employed by HM Coastguard at (a) Lerwick and (b) Pentland on (i) 1 December 1990, (ii) 1 December 1995 and (iii) 1 December 1996. [8467]
§ Mr. Bowis[holding answer 11 December 1996]: I have asked the chief executive of the Coastguard agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from C. J. Harris to Mr. James Wallace, dated 18 December 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions on staffing levels within the Coastguard Agency. The answers are as follows:PQ 636/96/97
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time and part-time coastguard officers, at each grade, were employed by HM Coastguard at (a) Lerwick and (b) Pentland on (i) 1 December 1990, (ii) 1 December 1995 and (iii) 1 December 1996.667W
District controller Station officer Senior watch officer Watch officer Sector officer Totals 1 December 1990 Shetland 1 2 4 6 2 15 1 December 1990 Pentland 1 2 15 5 3 16 1 December 1995 Shetland 1 2 4 8 2 17 1 December 1995 Pentland 1 1 4 7 4 17 1 December 1996 Shetland 1 2 4 6 2 15 1 December 1996 Pentland 1 1 3 7 4 16 1One over complement due to overlapping transfer.
District controller Deputy district controller Watch manager Watch officer Coastguard watch assistant Sector manager Totals Shetland (Lerwick) 1 1 4 5 6 2 19 Pentland (Kirkwall) 1 1 4 5 6 3 20
§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to pay a gratuity to those coastguard auxiliaries informed this year that their services were no longer required; and if he will list the numbers involved and lengths of service. [9577]
§ Mr. BowisThe "focus for change" review recommended the replacement by permanent employees of the volunteer auxiliary service which supported Her Majesty's Coastguard's operations. There were approximately 360 auxiliary coastguards in the operations rooms with service varying between one and 20 years.
As volunteers they are not eligible to receive severance payments but we would like to put on record our appreciation of the valuable service given by operations rooms auxiliaries over many years. More than 3,000 auxiliaries will continue to form the coast rescue companies around the coast, preserving the long tradition of voluntary service to the seagoing community within Her Majesty's Coastguard.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the privatisation of the Coastguard agency. [9764]