Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2026 to Question 37666, for what reason Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers were used in place of contracted vessels from Aeolian Offshore Ltd for operations off the Isle of Wight and Hampshire on 6 September and 22 September 2026.

The RNLI is an independent charity and one of several organisations that make lifesaving assets available for HM Coastguard to task. They may be tasked where their location and capability make them an appropriate resource for people who are, or may become, in distress. HM Coastguard considers all incidents and available resources across an area and manages operational priorities as circumstances change.