Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres at Belfast and Stornoway were staffed at below risk-assessed levels at the same time in 2014.

Where there are specific issues at a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Her Majesty’s Coastguard uses 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.

These historic risk assessed watch level assessments at MRCCs err strongly on the side of caution. As each MRCC joins the evolving national network the number of Coastguards at any of the individual centres becomes less significant. The flexibility of the new arrangements means that it is more important to consider the number of Coastguards available on the growing network.

Based on the risk assessment which characterised the previous model, during December 2014 Belfast MRCC was staffed below risk assessed levels on 23 occasions out of 62 shifts and Stornoway was staffed below risk assessed levels on 41 occasions out of 62 shifts.

During 2014 the MRCCs at Belfast and Stornoway were staffed below risk assessed levels at the same time 126 occasions out of 730 shifts during 2014.

I have asked for a fresh appraisal of the relationship between the available levels of resource and need in the light of the benefit of the new structure.