Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP's reaction to Government U-turn over voluntary Coastguard Officer payments

Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beaves has welcomed a U-turn in plans to cut remuneration for Coastguard Rescue Officers but said ‘a fair long-term model must be found.’

The Government’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it had ‘listened’ after scrapping plans to end payments for thousands of volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers were halted.

Minister for Transport Keir Mather announcing that the MCA would no longer proceed with proposals to stop hourly remuneration for attending incidents and training exercises.

MP Lorraine Beavers said: “I’ve been proud to speak up for our coastguards in Parliament, and I’m glad to announce that the Government has listened.

“Coastguard Rescue Officers will now continue to be reimbursed for their training and emergency callouts.

“Without them, our community would be put at risk.

“We must ensure that a fair long-term model is found, with our coastguards fully consulted throughout the process.”

A spokesperson for the MCA said: "The work of the service is vital to keeping people safe, and this pause gives us the time to engage extensively with our hard-working officers, understand more deeply the potential impact of any changes, and ensure their views help inform the decisions we take on how to shape the service going forward.”

Coastguard rescue Officers will continue to be paid for callouts after proposals to scrap the hourly rate were dropped.