House of Commons Transport Committee The Coastguard, Emergency Towing Vessels and the Maritime Incident Response Group Sixth Report of Session 2010–12 Volume II Additional written evidence Ordered by the House of Commons to be published 25 January, 22 March, 29 March, 26 April, 3 May, 10 May, 18 May, 24 May, 7 June and 14 June Published on 23 June 2011 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited The Transport Committee The Transport Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Department for Transport and its Associate Public Bodies. Current membership Mrs Louise Ellman (Labour/Co-operative, Liverpool Riverside) (Chair) Steve Baker (Conservative, Wycombe) Jim Dobbin (Labour/Co-operative, Heywood and Middleton) Mr Tom Harris (Labour, Glasgow South) Julie Hilling (Labour, Bolton West) Kwasi Kwarteng (Conservative, Spelthorne) Mr John Leech (Liberal Democrat, Manchester Withington) Paul Maynard (Conservative, Blackpool North and Cleveleys) Gavin Shuker (Labour/Co-operative, Luton South) Iain Stewart (Conservative, Milton Keynes South) Julian Sturdy (Conservative, York Outer) The following were also members of the committee during the Parliament. Angie Bray (Conservative, Ealing Central and Acton) Lilian Greenwood (Labour, Nottingham South) Kelvin Hopkins (Labour, Luton North) Angela Smith (Labour, Penistone and Stocksbridge) Powers The committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk. Publication The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at http://www.parliament.uk/transcom. A list of Reports of the Committee in the present Parliament is at the back of this volume. Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Mark Egan (Clerk), Marek Kubala (Second Clerk), David Davies (Committee Specialist), Tony Catinella (Senior Committee Assistant), Edward Faulkner (Committee Assistant), Stewart McIlvenna (Committee Support Assistant) and Hannah Pearce (Media Officer). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Transport Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 6263; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] List of additional written evidence 1 Independent Light Dues Forum (LDF) Ev w1 2 Angus MacNeil MP Ev w4 3 Save Stornoway Coastguard Campaign Team Ev w7, Ev w8, Ev w12, Ev w23 4 Steve Sim Ev w23 5 Coastguard Officer Ev w24 6 Denis McCallig Ev w25 7 Paul Kirby, PCS Branch Secretary for Liverpool Coastguards Ev w25, Ev w27 8 Serving coastguards at MRCC Falmouth Ev w28 9 Jean Hendry Ev w30, Ev w32, Ev w33, Ev w34 10 Liz Hustler Ev w35 11 Coastguard Watch Officer Ev w35 12 Clyde Coastguard Ev w36 13 Karen Paradise Ev w37 14 Simon Davey Ev w38 15 Grahame Thompson Ev w38 16 Les Jenkin Ev w38, Ev w39 17 Stephen Hennig Ev w41 18 Kathy Grant Ev w41 19 Katrina Hampson Ev w41 20 Lynne Fry Ev w42, Ev w100 21 John Steer Ev w42 22 Roger Davis Ev w45 23 Andrew Cattrell Ev w47 24 Bob Skinley Ev w50 25 Ian Graham Ev w60 26 Serving Coastguard in Aberdeen Ev w60 27 Karen Thompson Ev w61 28 Shetland Coastguards Ev w61 29 Guy Boily Ev w61 30 Eric Greenough Ev w62 31 Michael D Cowsill Ev w63 32 Blundellsands Sailing Club Ev w63 33 AN Sulaire Trust Ltd Ev w65 34 Shetland Youth Voice Ev w66 35 David Cairns MP Ev w67 36 Letter from the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Prime Minister Ev w71 37 Coastwatch (Redcar) Ev w72 38 Scottish Government Ev w72 39 Murdo Macaulay Ev w73 40 David MacBrayne Ltd Ev w75 41 Liverpool Coastguard Ev w79, Ev w81 42 Gill Palmer Ev w82 43 Robin Ward Ev w84 44 MRCC Clyde Ev w84 45 Matthew Mace Ev w85, Ev w87 46 The MacGregor Family Ev w88 47 James Wiseman Ev w89 48 Eileen Thomson Ev w89 49 Brixham Coastguards Ev w89 50 Operations Room Staff at MRCC Clyde Ev w93 51 Greg Albrighton Ev w98 52 Serving operational Coastguard officer Ev w104 53 Country Standard Ev w109 54 British Ports Association (BPA) Ev w110 55 MRCC Belfast Watchkeeping Staff Ev w111 56 Mike Lacey Ev w113 57 Louise Pooley Ev w116 58 Ivan Fabian Ev w118 59 Simon Hart MP Ev w120 60 Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Ev w121 61 Shetland MRCC Ev w124 62 Anthony Byrde Ev w126 63 Mairi Murray Ev w126 64 Martin Collins Ev w127 65 Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Ev w130 66 Irene MacRitchie Ev w131 67 TOTAL E&P UK Ev w132 68 North Wales Fire and Rescue Service Ev w136 69 International Group of P&I Clubs Ev w138 70 Andrew Cotterill Ev w140, Ev w143 71 Les Watson Ev w143 72 Colin Small Ev w152 73 The North Sea Foundation Ev w155 74 Save Shetland Coastguard Steering Group Ev w156 75 Wendy Mallon Ev w161, Ev w162 76 Shetland's volunteer Coastguard Rescue Service (CRS) Ev w163 77 Outer Hebrides Coastguard Task Group Ev w168 78 Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) Ev w172 79 Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority Ev w174 80 David Pockett Ev w175 81 Outer Hebrides Community Planning Partnership Ev w176 82 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK (CILT) Ev w180 83 Holman Fenwick Willan LLP Ev w182 84 Coastguards at MRCC Thames Ev w185 85 Andrew J Mahood Ev w187 86 Kevin Rogers Ev w189 87 Dominic Lonsdale Ev w192 88 Save Milford Haven Coastguard Campaign Ev w193 89 Dorothy Mackinnon Ev w208 90 Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Board Ev w208, Ev w210 91 Dr Stephen Bailey Ev w211 92 Tina Rogers Ev w212 93 Jim Green Ev w212 94 Convener Sandy Cluness Ev w213 95 Coastguard Rescue Service Station Officer Ev w214 96 Harry Edmondson Ev w215 97 Operational Coastguard Officers from around the UK Ev w218 98 John Hope, ex PCS Section President Ev w218 99 Sheryll Murray MP Ev w220 100 Jim Nicholson MEP Ev w222 101 Serving Coastguard Ev w222 102 C A Kay Ev w223 103 Joint submission from Save Stornoway and Save Shetland Coastguard Ev w224 104 Devon County Council Ev w226 105 Zoe Moore Ev w226 106 Kevin Bird Ev w227 List of unprinted evidence The following written evidence has been reported to the House, but to save printing costs has not been printed and copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library, where they may be inspected by Members. Other copies are in the Parliamentary Archives (www.parliament.uk/archives), and are available to the public for inspection. Requests for inspection should be addressed to The Parliamentary Archives, Houses of Parliament, London SW1A 0PW (tel. 020 7219 3074; email [email protected]). Opening hours are from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm on Mondays to Fridays. Save Stornoway Coastguard Campaign Team Nautilus International Coastguard Officer John Whitford Dennis Laird The Chief Fire Officers Association KIMO UK Coastguard Watch Officer Andrew Cattrell Jack Hawker Amanda Darling Eileen Bell Philip Tilley Bob Paul John Morrison Simon Rabett Jenny Robertson George Henry The Scottish Wildlife Trust Small Isles Community Council Margaret Mackay Stein Moorings Association Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Prime Minister Royal Yachting Association Port of London Authority Scottish Government Murdo Macaulay Aberdeenshire Council MRCC Aberdeen The Hyperbaric Medical Centre (Diving Diseases Research Centre) Welsh Assembly Government Cornwall Council Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Management Forum Cornwall Council Harbours Board Humber Coastguard Oil and Gas UK National Coastwatch Institution MRCC Belfast Watchkeeping Staff David Smith David Mantripp Carol Collins The Highland Council UK Harbour Masters' Association Mr Davy Thompson, Senior Operational Coastguard Officer for North Wales and the Northwest Area Coastguard Staff at Solent MRCC The Conference of Yacht Cruising Clubs Front line staff of MRCC Falmouth Operations room and other staff at MRCC Stornoway and MRCC Shetland Dick Holness James Ralston Peter W Brown Bruce Lack Coastguard Staff at MRCC Holyhead Don't Sink the Coastguards UK Maritime Pilots Association British Marine Federation RNLI Devon County Council Gill Palmer cobber Pack: U PL: CWE1 [SO] Processed: [20-06-2011 12:12] Job: 010828 Unit: PG01 Transport Committee: Evidence Ev w1 Written evidence Written evidence from the Independent Lights Dues Forum (ILDF) (MCA 01) 1. This submission is made by the Independent Lights Dues Forum (ILDF) and focuses on the three general lighthouse authorities (GLAs), the Department of Transport’s actions over the past eight years related to the GLAs and the future arrangements of the aids to navigation service (lighthouses, buoys and beacons) around the British Isles. 2. The ILDF’s members include APL (UK), Hyundai Merchant Marine, “K” Line (Europe) Ltd, Maersk, Mitsui O.S.K., NYK Line (Europe) Ltd, NYK Line Ltd, the Grimaldi shipping lines, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics and EUKOR and contribute about 60% of the annual light dues revenue. 3. Aids to navigation (lighthouses, buoys and beacons) around the British Isles are funded by a levy—known as light dues—on merchant ships calling at British and Irish ports. This is a tonnage-based levy, subject to a cap on the maximum chargeable tonnage and on the number of port calls that are chargeable in any one year. In nearly all other countries, this is funded by governments. 4. Light dues are paid into a central fund, the General Lighthouse Fund (GLF), from which they are disbursed by the Department for Transport (DfT or Department) to the three GLAs in England, Scotland and Ireland.