Dave Thompson MSP

SKYE, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson has welcomed the findings of a Westminster committee report into proposed Coastguard cuts and urged the Lib Dem / Conservative ministers to recognise that the case made against these steps by the SNP and industry leaders had been right all along.

Mr Thompson used a debate on the proposals at Holyrood on Thursday afternoon to warn of the possible consequences should Westminster proceed with plans to reduce Scotland to a single 24-hour coastguard co-ordination centre and the removal of emergency tugs introduced following the Braer oil spill. The speech included a dramatic warning of the potential catastrophe that could befall an area if no tug was available to come to the aid of a tanker that had lost power in the Minch but welcomed the findings of Westminster's Transport Select Committee, whose chair warned the plans were "seriously flawed" and would be "inviting disaster" if they went ahead.

"I felt it was important to present to members just how serious the consequences of this cost-cutting measure could be," said Mr Thompson.

"For the sake of saving a couple of percent off the Coastguard bill, we could be increasing the risk of accidents that could cost lives, ruin ecosystems and devastate rural economies.

"I was pleased to see that these concerns had finally been recognised at Westminster and now I hope the UK Government will heed the warnings and abandon these misguided plans."

Notes:

Motion debated:
That the Parliament notes the recent submission by the David MacBrayne Group to the UK Government’s consultation on the review of coastguard services across the United Kingdom; notes that the David MacBrayne Group is the principal operator of the Clyde and Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services and is the UK’s largest ferry operator in terms of vessels operated and routes served and notes its view that any changes to coastguard services should be constructed on the premise of saving lives and not on saving money, and argues that it is vital that coastguard services remain based throughout the whole of Scotland in order to offer the greatest possible service to the public and that, with an ever-increasing level of seafaring traffic on the west coast of Scotland, it is ludicrous that the Clyde facility is earmarked for closure.

Dave's Speech:
Picture the scene: it is Friday 13 September 2013 and Mike Penning—he is still there, unfortunately—rises to his feet in the House of Commons following the latest grounding of a tanker on Scotland’s west coast. Television screens around the world have already been filled with pictures of seabirds covered in oil, environmentalists are predicting that the delicate marine environment will take decades to recover and surrounding communities are trying to come to terms with the economic devastation as their fishing, tourism and food production sectors begin to feel the impact of the latest disaster and the inevitable negative publicity.

Mr Penning, as the Tory minister responsible for the cuts to the system in 2011, has been called to make a statement about why no emergency tug was available to tow the stricken tanker to safety when its captain reported that it had lost power and was drifting towards the shore. Before the member of Parliament for Hemel Hempstead’s voice is drowned out by angry jeering, he is heard to say: “Britain’s maritime protection service now operates far more efficiently than it did before we were able to deliver the new streamlined high-tech service in 2011, saving the taxpayer money every year.

How do I know this? Do I have a crystal ball or the second sight? Am I a latter-day Brahan seer? I hope not, as he was burned in a barrel of tar for speaking his mind. I am no Brahan seer; it is just that, like most people in Scotland, I have a good helping of common sense, which tells me that such a disaster could easily happen if Mr Penning and his Westminster coalition Government press ahead with these cost-cutting measures.

I hope that we might be seeing evidence that the penny is finally dropping in the mother of Parliaments, where Transport Committee chair, Louise Ellman, has said that the cuts are “seriously flawed” and will be “inviting disaster” if they go ahead. Surely the select committee’s damning report must be heeded, and we will now see a rapid dumping of the proposals.

Among the many fishermen’s groups appalled by the proposals is the Mallaig and North West Fishermen’s Association. It is based in my own constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, which includes fishing interests from Skye to Loch Linnhe on the west coast and Avoch on the east coast.

Following publication of the Westminster select committee’s report into the proposed cuts, I contacted John Hermse, secretary of the MNWFA, to discuss where this latest development takes us. He knows better than most the value of having robust arrangements in place to help protect the lives of his members as they seek to harvest what the sea can provide to feed the country and sustain their local communities. He welcomed the fact that the tide of political opinion seems to be turning and told me:

“This is the wrong type of austerity measure for the country. The MCA at every opportunity stresses the most stringent safety standards for fishing vessels but they can’t have double standards when it comes to reducing their own organisation’s core abilities.

We discussed this at the last Scottish Fishermen’s Federation meeting and we were thankful that we could see that a bit of sense was being introduced into the debate.

John Hermse is right about the lack of wisdom in cutting back on this essential safety net. Let us hope that the message has got through in London.