from Aberdeen press and journal
RAF AND NAVY TO KEEP ROLE IN RESCUE REVAMP
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DAVID PERRY
09:00 - 08 May 2006
Raf and Royal Navy crews are to continue flying search-and-rescue missions under radical changes expected to increase private-sector involvement in the service due to be announced tomorrow, the Press and Journal understands.
Proposals delayed until after the Scottish Parliament by-election in Moray and English local government elections are expected to retain a Ministry of Defence commitment to the vital service now provided by a mix of civilian and military aircraft and crew.
The Commons announcement will provide a national strategy for the service, which is now provided for historic reasons from RAF Lossiemouth and by civilian helicopter firms under contract to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency at Sumburgh, in Shetland, and Stornoway, in the Western Isles, with a co-ordination HQ at RAF Kinloss.
The announcement will also propose the use of private-sector finance to fund a new generation of helicopters to replace ageing RAF and Navy Sea Kings.
The aim of the Treasury-driven initiative is to remove from the hard-pressed MoD budget the burden of a service that has the main function of rescuing civilians without stopping RAF and Navy personnel gaining essential training from carrying out the work.
Some 97 out of 100 flights involve civilian rather than armed services emergencies.
MoD sources have been denying for weeks that the outcome of a wide-ranging review of the service would be the sale of teams at the 12 search-and-rescue bases around the UK coast and the imposition of charges for those rescued.
MPs across the north made it clear last night that they expected military involvement to continue and said they would fight to prevent any further reduction in RAF or Navy participation.
Orkney and Shetland Liberal Democrat Alistair Carmichael warned that the new arrangements would receive "the closest possible scrutiny" and said other private finance initiatives of this type "have given very poor value to the taxpayer".
"Most important of all, the balance sheet should never be allowed to come before safety considerations," he said.
"This service is vital for many of our coastal and island communities and that must not be lost in the drive for economy."
Moray SNP MP Angus Robertson said: "The MoD needs to ensure that military aircrew continue to be trained to the highest standards in search and rescue as this is essential for the future wellbeing of servicemen and women in combat zones.
"Concerns remain about the privatisation agenda of the Labour Government, which appears to be more to do with cost-cutting and belt-tightening rather than the optimal provision of defence services.
"It is ironic that a Labour administration is privatising lifeline services which were not even considered by the Tories under Margaret Thatcher."
US-owned Bristow and Canadian-based CHC Scotia Helicopters have been reported to be competing for a £40million-a-year contract, possibly running for 25 years, to provide aircraft.
CHC is due to take over the provision of new rescue helicopters at Sumburgh and Stornoway after winning a contract awarded previously to Bristow.
Military sources have also been reported as saying the provision of helicopters, crews, training, maintenance and operation of rescue centres were all "up for grabs".
The move follows the announcement last month that 60 north firefighters had been put on alert to combat large-scale disasters at sea.
They are one of a dozen teams around the UK that will use search-and-rescue helicopters to get to the scene of emergencies.
A team from the new Maritime Incident Response Group was flown to the stricken cruise ship Calypso at the weekend after a fire started in the vessel's engine room in the English Channel.