Plaid MPs raise fears as Coastguard call-out payments scrapped

Emily Price

Plaid Cymru MPs have voiced serious concerns following news that coastguard volunteers across the UK will no longer receive payments for emergency call‑outs.

The changes follow a Court of Appeal ruling which found that volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers could be classed as workers when undertaking paid duties, prompting the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to move to a revised volunteer model that removes hourly remuneration for call‑outs.

The changes are expected to impact around 3,000 volunteer Coastguard rescue officers across the UK.

Wales is covered mainly by two Coastguard rescue service areas – area 13, south Wales to mid-Wales and area 14, north Wales to mid-Wales.

Gwynedd is home to a number of busy coastguard stations including Aberdaron, Abersoch, Bangor, Barmouth, Criccieth, Dinas Dinlle, Porthdinllaen, and Tywyn.

The service supports communities along a vast and often challenging coastline.

It’s made up of around 80 volunteers, whilst stations on Ynys Môn include Cemaes, Holyhead, Moelfre, Penmon, and Rhosneigr.

Plaid MPs Liz Saville Roberts and Llinos Medi have warned that removing financial compensation – which has helped offset lost earnings when volunteers leave work at short notice – risks creating a barrier for those who would otherwise respond to emergencies.

Mrs Saville Roberts further warned that the decision could have significant consequences for coastal communities across northwest Wales with the potential exodus of trained responders and difficulties in recruitment.

Volunteers

She is seeking opportunities to raise the matter in the House of Commons.

The Plaid Cymru MPs said: “Our coastguard volunteers provide an essential service to coastal communities, responding to a wide range of incidents and supporting public safety along our coastline.

“Removing call‑out payments sends entirely the wrong message to the dedicated individuals who give up their time and often their income to protect others.’

“If we undervalue that commitment, we risk undermining the very foundations of the service.’

“In coastal areas like Dwyfor Meirionnydd and Ynys Môn and other parts of north and mid Wales, this is not an abstract policy change – it is a real, tangible threat to emergency response capacity.

“Many volunteers juggle full‑time jobs and family responsibilities, and that modest, below minimum wage payment has made it possible for them to step away from work at a moment’s notice.

“Take that away, and you are effectively asking people to choose between their livelihood and their duty to their community.

“That is not a sustainable model, and it is our communities that will ultimately pay the price. We cannot ignore the warnings coming directly from those on the frontline.”

‘Alarm bells’

They added: “We have spoken to experienced volunteers who are already saying this could push people away from the service, and that should set alarm bells ringing.

“What is especially worrying is the risk that we lose years – in many cases decades – of hard‑earned experience from within these teams.

“Along our coastline, where conditions can change quickly, the speed and expertise of that response play a crucial role in keeping people safe.

“Weakening that capability, even unintentionally, is a risk we simply cannot afford to take.

“We urge the Government and the MCA to listen carefully to the concerns being raised and to work with volunteers to find a solution that recognises the realities they face.

“If we want a strong, resilient coastguard service for the future, we must ensure that those who step forward to serve are supported – not penalised.

“We will be raising this issue directly with Government at the earliest opportunity and pressing for urgent answers on how these changes will impact coastal communities like ours.

“It is vital that Ministers fully understand the realities on the ground in places like northwest and mid Wales.”