The Government had planned to move Coastguard Rescue Officers’ pay to an expenses-only model
Members of Withernsea Coastguard with MP for Beverley and Holderness Graham Stuart(Image: Submitted)
Coastguard Rescue Officers at Withernsea Station – and across the country – can breathe a sigh of relief after the Government abandoned plans to end their payments from September. But Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart says “this is not the end of the matter” as he praised the “brave” coastguard rescuers at Withernsea Station who risk their lives to help others.
The Government had planned to move Coastguard Rescue Officers to an expenses-only volunteer model following a Court of Appeal judgment on their employment status. Maritime Minister Keir Mather has now confirmed that the change will not go ahead and that current arrangements will remain in place. The decision follows a national campaign involving Coastguard Rescue Officers, trade unions, coastal communities and MPs.
Mr Stuart backed the Save Our Coastguard campaign, encouraged residents to sign its petition and challenged the Government in Parliament. In June, he submitted a written parliamentary question asking Ministers to assess the financial impact on Coastguard Rescue Officers who lose income from their main jobs when responding to emergencies.
He later raised the issue directly in the House of Commons, warning that people visiting the coast needed to know that trained Coastguard Rescue Officers would still be there when lives were in danger. During an Urgent Question, Mr Stuart asked: “When thousands and thousands of people go to the coast this summer and onwards, how can the Minister ensure that they can continue to rely on courageous Coastguard Rescue Officers in future, as they have been able to in the past?”
He also praised the Withernsea Coastguard Rescue Officers who responded to the tragedy off the town’s coast on January 2, where three people lost their lives. Grace Keeling, 15, died after being swept into the sea and her mother, Sarah Keeling, 45, also perished while trying to save her. Many passersby attempted to help the pair. Mark Ratcliffe, 67, a retired toolmaker, was walking with his wife and grandson and went into the treacherous water to save the mother and daughter. Mark also sadly lost his life.
Mr Stuart told Parliament that Coastguard Rescue Officers had fought in terrible conditions through the day and late into the night as the emergency services tried to save lives. The Government’s decision means the modest payments CROs receive for call-outs and training will continue while the Department for Transport considers the future of the service. In his statement, Keir Mather admitted that the two surveys used to inform the proposed change “were not sufficiently detailed to properly reflect the impact of these changes”.
He said: “I can therefore confirm that plans to move to the expenses-only volunteer model in September will not go ahead, and current arrangements will remain in place.” The Minister has promised further engagement with Coastguard Rescue Officers, trade unions and MPs before future decisions are taken.
Joe Robertson MP, who launched the national Save Our Coastguard campaign, said: “It is very welcome news that the Minister has seen sense and blocked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s brutal decision against its own brave frontline workers. The MCA’s announcement to strip pay from Coastguard Rescue Officers after more than 100 years and then misrepresent its own internal survey results was completely wrong and should never have happened.
“The Government now needs to look at the whole Coastguard Rescue Service model and consult fully and meaningfully with the more than 3,000 Coastguard Rescue Officers. Whatever decisions are finally taken, the Government must ensure that our hero CROs continue to be remunerated for the hours they put in helping to save lives and keep our coastal communities safe.”
Mr Stuart said: “This is a victory for the brave Coastguard Rescue Officers at Withernsea Station and across the country. The response to the tragedy off Withernsea on 2 January showed the very best of our Coastguard, RNLI volunteers, Hornsea Inshore Rescue and emergency services.
“They went out in terrible conditions and did everything they could to save lives. When the Government announced plans to end payments, Coastguard Rescue Officers warned clearly that experienced people could reduce their hours or leave the service. I backed Joe Robertson’s national campaign, asked Ministers about the financial impact on officers and raised the threat to public safety directly in the House of Commons.
“I am pleased the Minister listened to CROs, MPs and coastal communities and stopped the September change. He deserves credit for admitting that the evidence behind the decision was not good enough. This reprieve is important, but it is not the end of the matter. The Government must now work properly with Coastguard Rescue Officers on a long-term model which respects their service, rewards the hours they give and keeps our coastal communities safe.”
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