'We have listened' - Maritime and Coastguard Agency update after plan to cut volunteer coastguard pay scrapped

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has said it has ‘listened’ to Coastguard Rescue Officers after scrapping plans to cut their remuneration.

Plans to end payments for thousands of volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers were halted yesterday, with Minister for Transport Keir Mather announcing that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) would no longer proceed with proposals to stop hourly remuneration for attending incidents and training exercises.

Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) play a vital role in responding to emergencies, carrying out rescues and searching for missing people along the UK's coastline, including in Scotland, Wales and England's south coast.

What the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said

"We have listened to Coastguard Rescue Officers and heard the strength of feeling on how changes would affect them,” said a spokesperson. “We have agreed with Ministers to pause plans to move to a revised volunteer model.

"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.”

‘A scandal’

Nicola Savage, GMB National Officer, said: “This is a richly deserved win for GMB’s coastguards, who took their campaign across the UK and into the corridors of power. It was a scandal that these brave, life-saving workers would have their pay cut. But Ministers have listened and done the right thing.”

Fylde coast MP comments

On the Fylde coast, concerns regarding the proposed changes were echoed by MPs representing coastal communities.

Fylde MP Andrew Snowden said he had continued to hear from Coastguard Rescue Officers worried about the impact the changes could have on recruitment and retention. He said: “This is particularly important in Fylde, where Coastguard Rescue Officers provide an essential emergency response across a heavily used stretch of coastline."

Blackpool North and Fleetwood MP Lorraine Beavers also questioned the decision, highlighting the vital role volunteers play along the Fylde coast. She said: “Coastguard Rescue Officers' play a vital role in keeping our coastal community safe and it is deeply concerning to hear that volunteers will no longer receive remuneration for their life-saving duties.

“In Blackpool North & Fleetwood we know exactly how important our volunteer coastguards are, we see them save lives and go out on hundreds of call outs a year. [Recently], Coastguard officers spotted 20 teenagers in the sea off Bispham. Without our heroic coastguards it could have been a lot worse."