HC Deb 18 December 2002 vol 396 cc814-5W
Miss McIntosh

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 3 December 2002,Official Report, column 673, what resources the Secretary of State representative will have at his disposal; where he is based and if the Secretary of State has powers to intervene to direct him to act. [87521]

Mr. Jamieson

(1) The following major resources are available to SOSREP:

Aircraft 2 surveillance aircraft and 2 dispersant spraying aircraft.

Helicopters 4 x search and rescue helicopters.

Emergency towing vessels Four Government funded emergency towing vessels, strategically placed around the UK.

Counter pollution and salvage stockpiles The MCA has extensive stockpiles of specialised counter pollution and salvage equipment located at Milford Haven and Burnt Island and can provide equipment such as thermal imaging cameras and intrinsically safe equipment in the event of an incident.

Personnel In the event that SOSREP is unavailable when an incident occurs, the following officers may also exercise the SOSREP powers: the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's chief executive, director of operations and deputy director of operations. The MCA has 10 designated marine casualty officers (MCOs) around the country that during an incident would go aboard a casualty to act for SOSREP. SOSREP has one full time administrative support officer that deals with the every day running of the SOSREP system. SOSREP also has a list of independent call-off contractors that can provide salvage, technical or specialist advice. During incidents when a salvage control unit has been set up, SOSREP can request additional administrative support and this is usually provided by the coastguard service.

Buildings and offices SOSREP's office is located within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's headquarters in Southampton. SOSREP has access to all the facilities within the agency's building including the maritime emergency incident room from which the first stages of an incident are often controlled until the individual response units have been mobilised. SOSREP also receives information from, and can make use of, the 19 coastguard stations that are located around the UK coastline.

(2) The powers of the Secretary of State:

Lord Donaldson's 1999 Review of Salvage and Intervention and their Command and Control concluded that: Ministers are entitled to be kept informed in the case of more serious incidents and may subsequently be accountable to Parliament. However, whilst operations are in progress, they must stand aside, and be seen to stand aside, leaving operational controls in the hands of the Secretary of State's specially trained and appointed representative. As in military operations, with which a serious incident has much in common, Ministers must back the man in control or sack him. This is the principle on which the UK operates the SOSREP function. It is this which sets the UK's response to incidents apart from that of all other nations.

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