The Royal Navy, along with RAF and Coastguard, currently provide rescue helicopter cover in Britain's mountains
The chair of a House of Commons select committee has told a Government minister there are worries the closure of two search and rescue helicopter bases might lead to more deaths.
MP Louise Ellman, who heads the transport committee, wrote to Secretary of State Patrick McLoughlin to express the MPs concern over planned changes to how rescue aircraft operate.
At present, RAF, Royal Navy and Coastguard crews provide cover for non-military rescues in the UK, often providing invaluable backup to the volunteer mountain rescue teams who often call on the helicopters to reach stricken walkers, climbers and mountain bikers.
Using the armed forces’ Sea Kings and the Coastguard’s Sikorsky helicopters often saves valuable time, particularly when serious injuries or medical conditions are reported.
But the service is due to be privatised in four years’ time, after the original procurement process, set up under the previous Labour Government, was abandoned because of irregularities in the bidding process.
The new plans involve the closure of the Coastguard service at Portland in Dorset and RAF Boulmer in Northumberland.
Ms Ellman, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, also questioned why there had been no public consultation on the plans, particularly for the inland services by SAR helicopters.
The ageing Sea Kings are due to be replaced under the privatisation
She said: “We were both surprised and disappointed to hear that the decisions to withdraw the Portland and Boulmer SAR helicopters were not the subject of prior consultation on these specific proposals.
“There are understandable concerns that the withdrawal of these bases will lead to slower response times and increased fatalities in the areas affected.
“In addition, the important role played by these helicopters in supporting other services, such as air ambulances, does not seem to have been taken into account.”
The committee chair added: “People rightly expect that their views and concerns will be listened to by Government and taken into account before decisions are reached.
“We understand that the final invitation to tender for the SAR helicopter contract has not yet been issued. Before doing so, we urge you to listen to the views of people affected by the proposed closures and to publish your response to the concerns expressed.”
The bid to privatise the UK’s search and rescue helicopters has been mired in controversy. In February 2011 the then Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said the Government had been made aware that commercially sensitive information had been obtained by one of the companies involved in the consortium chosen to run the £7bn scheme.
The process was halted. Mr Hammond said: “In mid-December, the preferred bidder in the SAR-H competition, Soteria, voluntarily came forward to inform the Government of irregularities regarding the conduct of their bid team which had only then recently come to light.
The Coastguard operates bigger Sikorsky S92A helicopters out of Stornoway at present
“The irregularities included access by one of the consortium members, CHC Helicopter, to commercially sensitive information regarding the joint Ministry of Defence-Department for Transport project team’s evaluations of industry bids and evidence that a former member of that project team had assisted the consortium in its bid preparation, contrary to explicit assurances given to the project team.”
The new bidding process involves Aberdeen-based Bond Offshore Helicopters, US company Bristow Group and Canada’s CHC.
Margaret
16 November 2012A quote from one MP in the Commons; 'a valuable visual presence of our military services will be lost'.
With full privatisation (it's partly so at present) insurance will almost inevitably appear - remember Bill Walker (Biggles) during the 80s.
But perhaps sometime in the future, when all is privatised and insurance is needed before a walk up your local hill, someone will reinvent the voluntary rescue service.
Richard Warren
16 November 2012Mountain Rescue teams in the Lakes would also appreciate some sort of consultation process. Our concerns relate to ensuring that the excellent service we currently receive from the RAF and RN will continue post privatisation. The proof of the pudding......
Although most rescues will still be undertaking on foot by team members due to weather limitations and the less serious incidents not requiring helio evacuation, teams dealing with casualties who have sustained life threatening injuries will want a seamless transition to the newer helicopters and crews. Cost free and regular training with helicopters may be a casualty but we will have to wait and see. We will look forward to the changes but only if the service is as good as, if not better than what we already have.
Richard Warren
Chairman LDSAMRA
Joanne Molloy
16 November 2012With more and more changes and cut backs to our 999 emergency services including our Police force, more and more pressure is being applied to the voluntary sector, foremost, Mountain Rescue. I am sure the public do not know that cadavers are collected by volunteers rather than the police or ambulance service. We can not simply rely on the goodwill of these amazing people to do the jobs of paid emergency services. They receive no tax exemption, cannot claim even petrol or clothing back, give up hours and hours per week without claiming either money back for their time or their expenses (consider that a pair of quality boots needed for their job may be £200 and to fill up the 4x4 they require to do the job may be £120 non of which they can claim for or even get tax exemption for!) these people are simply taken for granted and to withdraw a vital service such as the helicopter leaves them paralysed to do the very job they pay to do and the much valued service they provide, let alone the lives they save. They serve to provide a lifeline which is already taken for granted, surely we should provide the means in which they can provide this service to it's maximum?
Philip Nevin
05 August 2013Helicopter search & rescue in Britain is about to be privatised. This will lead into a nightmare regarding insurance for this rescue service.
Here in GB we have RAF & RN military helicopters providing A1 service. The civilian organisations - mountain rescue are important in the mountain environment.
There is still time to push for debate if people up and down the country to contact their MP's to keep Helicopter search & rescue by the military (RAF and RN).
Philip Nevin
Birmingham