GOVERNMENT RATIONALE FOR CLOSING SWANSEA MARITIME RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE

That this House is aware that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency drew up location matrix and impact assessment criteria in the recent coastguard reorganisation process; notes that these criteria included best use of existing property portfolios, availability of jobseekers for recruitment, evenness of spread around the coast and co-location with other search and rescue partners; is convinced that any objective analysis of these factors would have resulted in the retention of Swansea Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (Coastguard Station); is astonished that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in response to a Freedom of Information request from the hon. Member for Gower, admitted that it used no scoring system whatsoever in employing its location matrix and impact assessment criteria; believes that this brings into question the rationale for all announced coastguard station closures in the UK; and urges the Government to abandon its current plans and draw up a new modernisation programme based on the skills and expertise of our coastguard personnel.