Plymouth coastguard officers get major boost after government rethink

Local MPs have welcomed the government's decision to abandon plans to remove hourly payments for coastguard rescue officers (CROs).

The move follows sustained campaigning by the coastguard community, with many officers warning they would quit or reduce their availability, as well as calls from MPs across the country for the proposals to be reconsidered.

Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Keir Mather confirmed on Wednesday that the proposed changes, which had been due to come into effect in September, will no longer go ahead.

Instead, the current arrangements will remain in place while further work is undertaken to assess the impact of any future changes and engage directly with CROs.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) had argued it needed to change how the service operated after a court ruled that volunteers should be classed as workers entitled to benefits such as sick pay and holiday pay.

Around 400 coastguard rescue officers across 36 teams in Devon and Cornwall were at risk of losing the £11-an-hour payment they receive for attending emergencies and training after the MCA proposed an "expenses-only volunteer model".

MPs warned the changes could lead to a drop in morale among the highly trained officers. A survey carried out by the MCA found that at least a quarter of volunteers across the UK would quit or reduce their availability, rising to as high as 56 per cent in the South East and southern England.

Responding to the government's U-turn, North Devon Liberal Democrat MP Ian Roome said: "This is a victory for coastguard rescue officers and for common sense.

"It was clear to me that these changes had been introduced without properly listening to the people who give up their time to save lives along our coastline. So I'm glad the government has recognised that the process needs to be revisited."

He thanked everyone who contacted him and helped make the case.

"I'll continue pressing ministers to ensure coastguard rescue officers receive the recognition they deserve and that any future proposals are shaped by those who know the service best."

Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View Fred Thomas said: "This is the right call, and it's a huge relief.

"I heard directly from Plymouth's coastguard rescue officers about what these changes would have meant – for their team, and for people in genuine danger who rely on them coming out.

"I raised that in Parliament because Plymouth's coastguard rescue officers deserved to be paid fairly, and I'm very glad the government has listened and thought again.

"There's more work to do to get this right long term, but for now, our coastguard rescue officers can get on with the brilliant job they do."

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Keir Mather said he had listened to the views and testimonies of coastguard rescue officers and that they would be "treated with the dignity and respect they deserve" while the government worked to "get the system right".

"When those on the ground raise concerns of the scale we have seen and the evidence base is insufficient, we need to look again," he said.

MPs said they were grateful that the "brutal decision" had been overturned.