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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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Beith calls on Government to address serious aircrew shortages
September 16, 2009 1:00 PM
Alan Beith is challenging the Government to ensure vital search and rescue cover for the north east continues.
Berwick's Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith has called on the Government to address problems which have led to RAF Boulmer's Search and Rescue flight moving from 24 hour cover to daytime shifts, leaving the area dependent on more distant rescue units at night. The reduction to 12 hour daytime shifts began on Monday 14 September.
Sir Alan said
"This cut results from the fact that not enough aircrew have been trained to do this very important and highly skilled work. It means that a rescue helicopter will take significantly longer to reach a night-time incident in the area covered by RAF Boulmer, which includes much of the north east, southern Scotland and the Lake District.
"Our highly valued search and rescue service is desperately undermanned."
Previous news stories have covered a planned move to 12 hour daytime shifts which has been discussed by Ministers but only in relation to the introduction of new helicopters and the civilianisation of the Search and Rescue force in 2012.
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