Coastguard tug consultation slammed

ALISTAIR Carmichael MP, who recently wrote to the director of HM Coastguards challenging him to do better in consulting rural communities as part of their study into emergency towage provision for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, has again attacked the process followed by the MCA.

As previously reported, Mr Carmichael wrote to Richard Parkes following the announcement that there would be four shareholders meetings on the emergency tug provision study, in Liverpool, London, Bristol and Edinburgh.

Mr Carmichael said: “I would question why this review is necessary. This has been under constant review, some might say attack, since 2010.”

Commenting after the Coastguard Agency consultation meeting in Edinburgh yesterday, Thursday, on the future of emergency tug provision in the north of Scotland, Mr Carmichael said: “For the third time in nine years the Maritime Coastguard Agency is again consulting on future provision of emergency tugs and for the third time in nine years it looks like a botched job.

“The consultants engaged by the MCA have been set tight and arbitrary deadlines. Today’s meeting in Edinburgh seems to be the last chance for input from outside government. I fully support the call made by Councillor Steven Coutts for an extension of the time for responses. As things stand, even that would have a limited benefit. It would probably only extend a flawed exercise. The work undertaken by the consultants has already been shown to be defective in that it takes no account of aquaculture, loss of life or the traffic in and out of Sullom Voe.

“The Secretary of State for transport should intervene here and stop this flawed process and then speak to the communities affected before going any further.”