1 Introduction
1. We pay tribute all those who work in Search and
Rescue. They often take much greater risks than most of the rest
of us, and they do so to save lives and help people in distress.
We admire their dedication and commitment. This Committee is charged
by Parliament with examining the expenditure, administration and
policy of the Department for Transport and its associated public
bodies, and this report is part of that task.
2. The Department for Transport (DfT) is responsible
for civil maritime and aeronautical Search and Rescue policy.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) provides the coordination
service for maritime Search and Rescue. The Committee's report
into the work of the MCA highlighted the increase in incidents,
accidents and deaths around the coast,[1]
and the Government's response emphasised the role of the Auxiliary
Coastguard Service.[2]
The Committee therefore decided to examine the UK's Search and
Rescue arrangements in more detail in order to gain a broad view
of their effectiveness, resources and capabilities.
3. On 3 February 2005, Members and staff of the Committee
visited the MCA's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at
Dover. On 9 February and 2 March, the Committee took oral evidence
from the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), Mountain Rescue—England
and Wales, the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue (ALSAR),
the UK Lowland Institute, the National Coastwatch Institution
(NCI), the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the Public
and Commercial Services Union (PCS), NUMAST (the National Union
of Marine, Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers), the MCA
Chief Executive and the Chief Coastguard, and the Parliamentary
Under-Secretaries of State at the Home Office, the Office of the
Deputy Prime Minister, and the Department for Transport, Fiona
Mactaggart MP, Phil Hope MP and David Jamieson MP respectively.
We also received written evidence from a number of organisations
and individuals. We are grateful to everyone who helped us with
our inquiry, and to our Specialist Adviser, Professor James McConville.
1 Transport Committee, The Work of the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency, Fourteenth Report of Session 2003-04,
HC 500 [2003-04] Back
2
The Government's Response to the Transport Committee's Report
on the Work of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Cm 6343 Back
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