Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Stornoway has permanent radio access to the radio network covering the Clyde, Arran and the Ayrshire coast.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The radio sites covering the Clyde, Arran and Ayrshire coast were transferred to Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) when Clyde MRCC closed in December 2012.
As part of the pairing ‘infrastructure' there is a fixed link between Belfast and Stornoway MRCCs which enables Coastguards at Stornoway MRCC to have permanent radio access to the entire Belfast MRCC radio estate (or vice versa). In addition the MRCCs at Aberdeen or Shetland can ‘dial in' to provide further support if required.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Belfast was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in June 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
During June 2014 Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 25 occasions out of 60 shifts.
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Liverpool was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in June 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
During June 2014 Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 27 occasions out of 60 shifts.
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Stornoway was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in June 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
During June 2014 Stornoway Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels on 25 occasions out of 60 shifts.
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether MRCC Aberdeen was staffed at below risk assessed levels on any shifts between 20 May and 22 May 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Aberdeen Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was fully staffed with five qualified officers during each of the day watches over the period 20 to 22 May 2014. On the night of 20 May, the watch was reduced to three qualified officers, and on the night of 21 May, four qualified officers. This had no impact on search and rescue operational capability for that period.
Aberdeen MRCC could also have called on further experienced and capable support from five other MRCCs, should this support have been required.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Liverpool was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in (a) April 2014 and (b) May 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Liverpool Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels during:
a) April 2014 – 30 occasions out of 60 shifts
b) May 2014 – 6 occasions out of 62 shifts
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the performance of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency during the search for the Water Rail between 20 and 22 May 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) performance in relation to the incident involving the Water Rail between 20 and 22 May 2014 was thorough and professional, and in line with established international protocols.
The operational activity of coastguards on duty at the Aberdeen Maritime and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) were supervised by an experienced Search Mission Coordinator.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Belfast was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in (a) April 2014 and (b) May 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Belfast Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels during:
a) April 2014 – 40 occasions out of 60 shifts
b) May 2014 – 22 occasions out of 62 shifts
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Stornoway was staffed at below risk-assessed levels in (a) April 2014 and (b) May 2014.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Stornoway Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) was staffed below risk assessed levels during:
a) April 2014 - 12 occasions out of 60 shifts
b) May 2014 – 14 occasions out of 62 shifts
Where there are specific issues at a MRCC Her Majesty's Coastguard is using the current long established pairing arrangements between MRCCs. This enables each MRCC to be connected to at least one other MRCC which is available to provide mutual support.
Asked by: Baroness Clark of Kilwinning (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's capacity to discharge its statutory duties to survey and inspect (a) domestic and (b) international shipping.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)'s current business plan has an operational priority (OP) entitled: “OP2 - Ensuring our ship survey, inspection and certification capability, and the parallel work in relation to seafarers, meets our domestic and international obligations”. Progress against this operational priority is monitored on a monthly basis by the MCA Executive Board using a balanced score card system. By this method the MCA is able to assess its capacity to discharge its statutory Survey and Inspection duties.
The MCA monitors its capacity to discharge its statutory duties to survey and inspect (a) domestic (Flag State responsibility) and (b) international (Port State responsibility) shipping through a system of activity monitoring. Performance against these Survey and Inspection activities feed into the Balanced Score Card for OP2.