GOVERNMENT RATIONALE FOR CLOSING SWANSEA MARITIME RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE

Early day motion 2891, tabled 19 March 2012 by Martin Caton (Labour). Signed by 16 members.

That this House is aware that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency drew up location matrix and impact assessment criteria in the recent coastguard reorganisation process; notes that these criteria included best use of existing property portfolios, availability of jobseekers for recruitment, evenness of spread around the coast and co-location with other search and rescue partners; is convinced that any objective analysis of these factors would have resulted in the retention of Swansea Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (Coastguard Station); is astonished that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in response to a Freedom of Information request from the hon. Member for Gower, admitted that it used no scoring system whatsoever in employing its location matrix and impact assessment criteria; believes that this brings into question the rationale for all announced coastguard station closures in the UK; and urges the Government to abandon its current plans and draw up a new modernisation programme based on the skills and expertise of our coastguard personnel.

Signatures by party: Labour 13, DUP 1, Liberal Democrat 1, Plaid Cymru 1.