Coastguard payment U-turn welcomed by campaigning councillor
A campaigning Berwickshire councillor has hailed a U-turn over the scrapping of Coastguard call-out payments.
Earlier this year a decision was taken that UK Coastguard Rescue Service (CRO) volunteers would no longer paid for call-outs.
Following a Court of Appeal ruling, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) introduced a “revised volunteer model” to remove the £11 hourly remuneration for incidents and training, sparking concerns among responders.
It was a move which angered East Berwickshire Independent councillor James Anderson who raised the issue as a motion at Scottish Borders Council in June.
He called in particular for members to support Eyemouth Coastguard and others in calling for the plan to be scrapped, saying: “The call-out payment was never making anyone rich, but it recognised the disruption, responsibility, and personal sacrifice involved in responding to emergencies.”
Now UK Government maritime minister Keir Mather has announced that the planned move to an expenses-only model will not go ahead.
Mr Anderson believes the decision is a victory for common sense.
He said: “It just shows that people need to stand up for what’s right and not be ground down by bureaucrats on huge wages. It will be interesting to see what they try to do next. They should have addressed the issue with the government and not taken the path they did.
“I will be catching up with the coastguard volunteers this week when I’m out and about. They need a huge pat on the back.”
Concerns had been raised by Coastguard volunteers and representative bodies that the removal of the payment would have implications for recruitment, retention and the long-term resilience of the Coastguard Rescue Service, particularly within rural and coastal communities.
Councillor Anderson’s motion called on the council to formally recognise and thank all serving and former Coastguard Rescue Officers for their commitment, professionalism and service to communities within the Scottish Borders and across the United Kingdom.
It also asked that the council leader write to the Secretary of State for Transport, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, local Members of Parliament, local Members of the Scottish Parliament and relevant representative bodies outlining the council’s support for Coastguard rescue officers.