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THE Government has indicated that it is ready to scale back some its controversial plans for the closure and cutbacks to coastguard stations around the UK.
This has given hope that Coastguard centres in key fishing areas such as the West Country, Scotland and the Humber may continue to operate on a 24-hour basis.
Originally, the plans was to have just two round-the-clock stations, one near Aberdeen and the other in the south of England. The proposal had brought strong condemnation from fishing and other marine interests. The Government is now expected to press ahead with shutting some, but it is not yet known which stations will be reprieved.
Ministers have extended a consultation on the plans, to allow the Commons transport committee time to complete its assessment of the proposals.
The Transport Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC, (following newspaper reports had said the government was making a U-turn on the proposals), that he was re-examining the original plans to cut the number of coastguard stations from 19 to nine.
"We are looking again at the best configuration that will allow us to deliver those technological improvements, those working-practice improvements, and we will announce our conclusions to Parliament before the summer recess," he said.
Mr Hammond's comments came as MPs from the Commons transport committee were in Stornoway, in the Outer Hebrides, to take evidence on proposals to reduce Scotland's five coastguard stations to the one nationally networked maritime operations centre in Aberdeen.
Commons Leader Sir George Young told MPs the government was "having another look" at the proposals and would respond before the Commons rose in July.
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