Growing opposition to plans to end coastguard rescue team payments

Opposition is growing to controversial changes mooted by the Government which will see financial support being removed from coastguard rescue teams and the service being moved to a fully voluntary model without payment.

Members of Cornwall Council are so incensed – and concerned – by the move that the local authority’s leader has pre-empted a motion calling on him to write to the Government next month and has already done so.

Coastguard volunteers in Cornwall will no longer be paid for attending callouts and training sessions following a landmark legal ruling. It found that volunteers who received payments could legally be classed as workers rather than volunteers.

Coastguard rescue officers currently receive hourly remuneration for attending incidents and training exercises. They can claim around £11 an hour, with a minimum payment equivalent to three hours, even if an incident is resolved more quickly.

However, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) – a Government body – has confirmed those payments will be removed later this year as part of a move to a revised volunteer model.

James Mustoe, Conservative councillor for Mevagissey and St Austell Bay, submitted a cross-party motion calling on Cornwall Council to support local coastguards and for the authority’s Liberal Democrat leader Leigh Frost to be mandated to write to the Secretary of State in opposition to the changes.

The motion was due to be discussed at a full council meeting on July 21, but Cllr Frost has already written to parliamentary under-secretary Keir Mather as he believes the issue is “sufficiently important” to bring it to the minister’s attention as soon as possible.

He wrote: “HM Coastguard plays a vital role in Cornwall. Our coastline, communities and visitors rely heavily on coastguard rescue teams, who are often among the first responders to serious incidents including cliff rescues, missing person searches, mud rescues, water-related emergencies and support for other emergency services.

“The concern being raised locally is that removing remuneration could have significant unintended consequences for availability, retention, operational resilience and safety.

“Coastguard rescue officers give a huge amount of time, skill and commitment to protecting life around our coastline. However, many also face real personal and financial impacts when responding to incidents, particularly where they lose earnings, are called away from work or are required to support prolonged searches or other demanding incidents.

“In an area such as Cornwall where coastal risk is a central part of our emergency planning environment, any reduction of availability or loss of experienced personnel could have serious consequences.

“If those individuals were forced to reduce their availability or step back from services, the impact could be felt across public safety, responder safety and wider emergency service resilience.”

Cllr Frost has asked the Government for “reassurance on the evidence base and risk assessment underpinning the proposals”.

Cllr Mustoe was happy with the leader’s letter, despite it pre-empting his motion.

He said: “Leigh is supportive of my motion, having already written to the MCA with his concerns shortly after I submitted it. Given the overwhelming support from councillors prior to the meeting in July, we decided the best thing to do, in order to progress this now, is for Cllr Frost to adopt the content of the motion and write in advance of full council, which he has now done.

“I hope the Government will listen to the voices from Cornwall, and across the country, and come to a workable outcome that does not endanger the continued operation of our coastguards. We await their response.”