The Government has confirmed it will not proceed with plans to move Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) to an expenses-only volunteer model, following concerns over the potential impact on rescue services in Bridlington, the east coast and around the UK.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) had proposed removing the hourly payments officers receive for attending incidents and mandatory training from September. However, the current arrangements will now remain in place while the future of the service is reviewed.
The proposals prompted widespread concern among Coastguard Rescue Officers, MPs, councils and unions, with many warning the changes could affect the ability of local teams to respond to emergencies.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, more than half of Coastguard Rescue Officers said they would be forced to reduce their availability or leave the service altogether if the plans went ahead.
The changes would have affected local Coastguard Rescue Teams, including those in Bridlington and Filey, whose officers respond to incidents along the East Yorkshire coast, including searches for missing people, rescues involving people cut off by the tide, cliff incidents and other emergencies.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Maritime Minister and Selby MP Keir Mather said: “Plans to move to the expenses-only volunteer model in September will not go ahead, and current arrangements will remain in place.”
Bridlington and The Wolds MP Charlie Dewhirst, who raised the issue in Parliament last week, welcomed the announcement.
He said: “It is fantastic news for the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Bridlington, and coastal communities across the country, that the Government has finally seen sense and postponed these damaging plans to rip the modest payments away from our incredible Coastguard Rescue Officers.
“After I made sure to raise this in Parliament last week, alongside many other coastal MPs similarly concerned about losing huge numbers of dedicated Coastguards, this pause is welcome.
“But the decision is only a pause – the Government’s engagement with Coastguard Rescue Officers over the coming months, in order to shape the future Coastguard Rescue Service model, will be crucial. They must get this right; lives in East Yorkshire and beyond are at stake.”
The decision follows a campaign by Coastguard Rescue Officers, MPs and the GMB Union, which argued that removing the payments could undermine recruitment and retention within the service.
Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, said: “This is a richly deserved win for GMB’s coastguards, who took their campaign across the UK and into the corridors of power.
“It was a scandal that these brave, life-saving workers would have their pay cut.
“But Ministers have listened and done the right thing.”
The Government has said it will now engage with Coastguard Rescue Officers over the coming months to help shape the future model of the Coastguard Rescue Service.
