Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to maintain operational resilience of HM Coastguard on the Lincolnshire coastline in the context of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s announcement regarding the future model for Coastguard Rescue Officers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Public safety remains our priority and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer.
Contingency plans are in place to enable the continuation of maritime and coastal search and rescue. HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.
Changing the Coastguard Rescue Service operating model is a mandated consequence of the Court of Appeal ruling in a case brought by a volunteer. Serving CROs are entitled to compensation for up to the previous six years of service, in line with the Court of Appeal judgment regarding worker status. The MCA will calculate each person’s entitlement and contact individuals.
Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the financial savings of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s decision to introduce a revised volunteer model for Coastguard Rescue Officers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Public safety remains our priority and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer.
Contingency plans are in place to enable the continuation of maritime and coastal search and rescue. HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.
Changing the Coastguard Rescue Service operating model is a mandated consequence of the Court of Appeal ruling in a case brought by a volunteer. Serving CROs are entitled to compensation for up to the previous six years of service, in line with the Court of Appeal judgment regarding worker status. The MCA will calculate each person’s entitlement and contact individuals.
Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's policy is on spending £262 million from reallocated HS2 funding on Lincolnshire's (a) roads and (b) public transport.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The previous Government made a number of funding commitments in the Network North Command Paper. These will be examined closely by my Government in the coming months.
Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the extent of price differentials between motorway and non-motorway service stations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by John Hayes
The Department does not monitor the pricing of fuel at Motorway Service Areas or on Trunk Roads.
However, the Department does monitor areas of concern raised by road users in order to make improvements and Highways England are monitoring the price of fuel solely for evaluating the impact of the motorway fuel price signs trial.
Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the average price differential of fuel per litre in cost and percentage terms between motorway and non-motorway service stations.
Answered by John Hayes
The Department does not monitor the pricing of fuel at Motorway Service Areas.
However, the Department does monitor areas of concern raised by road users in order to make improvements. Recent research by Transport Focus, the independent watchdog representing users of England’s major roads, concluded that overall Motorway Service Areas do meet the needs of most users.
Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government monitors the extent of fuel price differentials between motorway and non-motorway service stations.
Answered by John Hayes
The Department does not monitor the pricing of fuel at Motorway Service Areas.
However, the Department does monitor areas of concern raised by road users in order to make improvements. Recent research by Transport Focus, the independent watchdog representing users of England’s major roads, concluded that overall Motorway Service Areas do meet the needs of most users.