From the Sunday Telegraph
Sea and air rescue will be sold by Government
By Sylvia Pfeifer (Filed: 29/05/2005)
Rescue missions in Britain's seas and mountains could soon be operated by the private sector under plans being drawn up by the Government.
The Ministry of Defence is expected to put Britain's search and rescue operations out to tender within the next 12 months under a private finance initiative that could be worth as much as £1bn.
Search and rescue activities are currently handled from 12 stations around the country by a combination of the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
The RAF's distinctive yellow Sea King helicopters are due to be withdrawn from service in the next few years and under the plans the PFI contract would cover both the crews and the helicopters for all search and rescue activities.
The service exists primarily to assist military and civilian air crews who get into difficulty, but a large proportion of the work involves assisting shipping or people who find themselves in difficulties both on land and at sea.
Thought that the mighty Queens were going on until at least 2014?