Full search and rescue cover must be restored, says Beith

9.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 22nd Sep 2009

Essential Search and Rescue cover must not be cut by the back door, says Alan Beith.

Assurances from the Ministry of Defence that daytime-only search and rescue cover from RAF Boulmer is only temporary don't get to the heart of the problem, says Berwick's Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith.

Speaking after a discussion on Radio Newcastle this morning, Sir Alan said

"The suspension of night time cover is likely to happen again and may well affect other stations as well, meaning RAF Boulmer will be covering for other areas.

"We need to get to the heart of the problem now and establish what plans are in place to ensure this is really temporary and not cuts by the back door.

"This is just a foretaste of what the Government intends for our area under the new Search and Rescue programme which is due to start in 2012, even though no-one knows what the new helicopter will be and what the speed of response times will be.

"I will continue to keep up the pressure on the Government and the Ministry of Defence to provide full search and rescue cover."

The Search and rescue flight based at RAF Boulmer, near Alnwick, covers the north east, the Lake District and some parts of southern Scotland, as well as much of the North Sea.