Jamie McGrigor Speech on Coastguards Debate in Holyrood

: I congratulate Alasdair Allan on securing this important debate. I have received hundreds of messages from constituents in the Highlands and Islands on the importance of the coastguard, and I am very aware of people’s concerns. Following the debate, I will write to the United Kingdom transport secretary to express the sentiments of my constituents on the issue. Two of the remaining coastguard centres are in the Highlands and Islands—one is in Shetland and the other is in Stornoway. Those bases have undoubtedly provided an excellent service in the past.

As my colleague Jackson Carlaw said, we are all indebted for the countless lives that have been saved as a result of the bravery and professionalism of our coastguards. It is important that we do not lose the effectiveness of a system that is of huge importance to our island nation, with its archipelagos.

I asked local lifeboat volunteers from Oban for their points of view and they told me that since they lost the Oban coastguard station some years ago, they have operated through Clyde coastguard, which is now scheduled for closure. What will be of the greatest importance to them and to coastal communities such as theirs is that there is not a cut in sector officers, because they provide the local knowledge in any search. Local knowledge saves time, which saves lives. That will be important in maintaining the confidence of maritime communities in any new arrangements, which will require a great deal of efficiency from any new service. Whatever is put in place has to be super-efficient. We all know that our coastal waters are extremely dangerous and that cold water takes no prisoners.

I stress the huge importance of the auxiliary volunteer coastguards, who keep their eyes open on our coasts all year round. Many of those are farmers and crofters who live near the sea. For many generations such volunteers have been the eyes and ears of the coast, reporting immediately any incidents that seem to be out of the ordinary. They provide the initial watch, which can then be responded to by the rescue services or the police. There must be a good centre that can collate incoming information from the volunteers and respond with the appropriate action. Lines of communication must always remain open and voluntary service must be encouraged.

Oban and Appin rescue team, for example, has 16 coastguard rescue officers—all volunteers—on standby to respond to any coastal emergency. The coastguard teams cover a distance of 70 road miles between Loch Sween in the south and Appin in the north, including many small islands. The Oban team relies heavily on its flank teams at Crinan, Appin and Inveraray for initial response. The teams have a good relationship with other emergency services, which means that they are often called to assist in searches for missing persons or at road-traffic accidents. They are called out regularly for medical evacuations at Oban hospital and at diving incidents, which are on the increase as subsurface adventure tourism grows more popular.

I cannot stress enough the importance of the volunteers. I hope that as many as possible are included in any consultation that seeks to modernise Scotland’s coastguard services. I agree with Jackson Carlaw that we should all work together to ensure the best possible outcome of the consultation for Scotland’s vital coastguard provision.