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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 battles on for Boulmer’s Search and Rescue heroes
April 5, 2012 12:04 PM
Sir Alan Beith MP has been given a written assurance about support for Holy Island fire and rescue arrangements by a Government Minister.
When the Fire and Rescue Service closed down their operations on Holy Island some years ago, the alternative arrangements put in place for dealing with a fire when the tide was covering the causeway involved a fire crew being flown over to the island by the helicopter from RAF Boulmer and operating the appliance which is kept on the island.
Sir Alan raised the continuity of this arrangement with the Minister as one of many reasons why RAF Boulmer should remain as a search and rescue base, and he has now been given an assurance that helicopter assistance will be available for Holy Island in the future.
Sir Alan said
"This is a welcome assurance about fire protection for Holy Island.
"But I have serious concerns about the proposals to end Search and Rescue services from RAF Boulmer. I have identified serious weaknesses in the report which in my view make it inadequate as a basis for ending search and rescue from RAF Boulmer and I am continuing to put pressure on the Minister."
The Selection of Bases document of 16 November 2011 can be found at http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/uk-sar-helicopters-services/sar-infrastructure-selection.pdf and the Atkins Review of the proposals which has now been published can be found at http://assets.dft.gov.uk/publications/uk-sar-helicopters-services/assurance-review-sar.pdf