HM Coastguard: Voluntary Work
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of transitioning HM Coastguard to a revised volunteer-only model on recruitment and retention.
Answered by Keir Mather
Changing the Coastguard Rescue Service operating model was not something which we wanted to do but is a mandated consequence of the Court of Appeal ruling. His Majesty’s Coastguard has 3000+ Coastguard Rescue Officers, all with unique personal circumstances and all potential options for a revised model would have affected individuals differently. After careful consideration of the legal position, operational and organisational implications, and feedback from members, moving to a volunteer model with expenses but not hourly remuneration was the best option to protect the service. Alternative models would have had significant complexities, including impacting people’s ability to serve alongside their primary employment.
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