Beith condemns lack of detail on government's plans for Search and Rescue

1.15.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 9th May 2006

Alan Beith has spoken out on the government's plans for the future of the Search and Rescue helicopter service announced today. Alan's constituency includes RAF Boulmer, home of the RAF's 202 Squadron which carries out search and rescue duties with Sea King helicopters.

The statement from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Transport sets out the government's plans to invite Private Finance initiative (PFI) bids for the Joint Search and Rescue - Helicopter Project.

Alan said

"This is a very worrying statement which provides no assurance that the high skill levels provided by the RAF will be needed in a privatised system, and no clarity about what will happen to the RAF personnel who currently provide such a superb service.

"People in the area served by the RAF Boulmer Search and Rescue crews have high confidence in the RAF, and the work of 202 Squadron supports other RAF requirements as well as earning huge respect for the RAF in the wider community. Whether RAF Boulmer remains the base for search and rescue in the future depends on the range of any new helicopter introduced, and the ministers clearly do not know what aircraft a potential new provider will use.

"The private sector does not have the capacity to train aircrew to the required standards and will depend heavily on RAF-trained personnel - there is no guarantee that in future years private operators will provide high level training for future generations of search and rescue aircrew.

"The supposed savings from this plan could very soon disappear in the new costs which it may bring."