Protecting Scotland’s Coastguard Rescue Officers

That the Parliament recognises the vital role of Coastguard Rescue Officers inprotecting lives and supporting coastal communities across Scotland;understands that they respond to emergencies in difficult and often dangerousconditions, providing essential local resilience as part of the UK’s search andrescue capability; notes with concern the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s(MCA) proposals to end paid remuneration for the officers for call-outs andtraining; further notes that over 50 MSPs from across the Parliament havesigned a joint letter raising concerns about these proposals; believes that anychange to the terms and conditions of Coastguard Rescue Officers must besubject to full consultation with those affected and proper assessment of theimpact on recruitment, retention, operational readiness and community safety;considers that the officers should be properly valued and fairly treated forthe work that they do, and calls on the MCA to halt these proposals, engagemeaningfully with the officers and their trade union representatives, to ensurethat Scotland’s Coastguard Rescue Service remains properly supported, resilientand able to protect coastal communities.