MP calls for rethink over volunteer coastguard pay changes

Nation.Cymru staff

Emergency response times along the Welsh coast could increase under plans to stop paying volunteer coastguard rescue officers for attending callouts, a Plaid Cymru MP has warned.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is proposing to stop paying Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) an hourly rate for attending incidents and training exercises from September, replacing the current system with an expenses-only volunteer model.

The issue was raised in Parliament by Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts, who said the proposals had caused “real anger and anxiety” among officers serving coastal communities across north and west Wales.

She said Coastguard Area 14 covers much of north and mid Wales, stretching from Flintshire around Ynys Môn and Gwynedd to New Quay in Ceredigion. Gwynedd alone has eight coastguard stations and around 80 rescue officers.

Ms Saville Roberts said officers had warned the changes could leave teams under greater pressure if volunteers were forced to miss incidents because responding would leave them out of pocket.

She also warned that experienced officers could leave the service, response times could increase and recruitment would become more difficult if new volunteers were expected to complete 10 days of training without remuneration.

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate, she said: “The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s decision to remove hourly remuneration for Coastguard Rescue Officers and implement a volunteer model has caused real anger and anxiety.”

She said the rescue teams play a vital role responding to cliff rescues, missing person searches, flood emergencies and mud rescues, working alongside police, fire, ambulance, RNLI, mountain rescue and cave rescue teams.

Mrs Saville Roberts said she had repeatedly asked ministers what assessment had been made of how many rescue officers might leave if the proposals were implemented and what impact this would have on public safety.

“The Government were unable to provide me with answers to these questions,” she said.

“I therefore asked them again of the Minister today – our coastal communities deserve answers.”

The changes follow a Court of Appeal ruling that Coastguard Rescue Officers should be classed as workers rather than volunteers because of the way they were remunerated.

The UK Government says the current system can no longer continue legally and that an expenses-only model is the best way to preserve the service.

Criticism

The proposals have also drawn criticism from the GMB union, which has pledged to campaign against the move after delegates backed a motion at its annual conference.

An MCA spokesperson said: “After careful consideration, we are moving the Coastguard Rescue Service to a revised volunteer model to best protect the future of the service.

“This decision follows a legal judgment, which means we need to change how the service operates.

“We deeply value and recognise the significant service Coastguard Rescue Officers provide along our coastline, and we will be supporting them during this transition. The Coastguard Rescue Service will continue to maintain a robust, effective search and rescue response, ensuring the highest quality of service and levels of safety.”