HELICOPTER search and rescue missions in Scotland are to be severely
curtailed from next April after a drastic RAF cost-saving exercise which
will reduce bills by #3.5m.
Plans revealed yesterday show that the key rescue helicopter base at
RAF Leuchars in Fife is to be closed from April.
The announcement was greeted with dismay in Scotland. Mr Hamish
MacInnes, leader of Glencoe mountain rescue team, said: ''I am quite
convinced that in future people are going to die because Leuchars search
and rescue helicopters are being disbanded.''
However, Defence Minister Malcolm Rifkind denied that the closure of
the Leuchars unit, made up of Wessex helicopters which are now deemed
out of date, would put lives in danger.
A huge burden will fall upon RAF Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth, by
far already the busiest search and rescue station in the UK. Its
workload will almost certainly soar by at least 50% with no increase in
aircraft devoted to rescue operations.
Oil rig and fishery emergencies in the North Sea and mountain rescue
operations seem bound to suffer. This was made clear yesterday as the
Government unveiled plans for search and rescue in the UK.
The RAF is to deploy Sea King helicopters throughout the UK. To do
this, Wessex search and rescue teams will be disbanded, making a saving
of 37 air crew, 120 ground crew, and #3.5m. Shutting search and rescue
at Leuchars will save nine air crew.
Last year, Lossiemouth was by far the busiest air emergency service in
the UK with 224 call-outs. RAF Leuchars came fourth in the table with
161 emergency call-outs -- only five fewer than the base that came
second.
In theory, the area Leuchars covered can be looked after by Royal Navy
Sea Kings from Prestwick and Sea Kings from RAF Boulmer in the Borders.
But in practice the main burden is much more likely to fall upon RAF
Lossiemouth.
It is clear from a Government document, published immediately after
the announcement, that the RAF agonised most over the closure of the
Leuchars operation. It is equally evident from that document that cost
was paramount in the decision.
The document said: ''Now that the RAF is moving towards an all Sea
King SAR force, the costs involved in running an extra flight at
Leuchars would be significant, including the purchase of two new Sea
Kings, additional spares, running costs, and extra crews.
''This expenditure could not be justified by the operational
requirement, and retention of the flight is therefore no longer
warranted.''
''As an alternative to withdrawal of the Leuchars flight,
consideration was given to replacing the Wessex helicopters by
transferring the present Sea King SAR flight from RAF Boulmer. However,
the areas in the North Sea and off the Northumbrian coast which would
lie outside a one-hour response time after such a move are significant.
''The withdrawal of the Wessex flight will inevitably mean an increase
in the response time if helicopters are called to daytime incidents
close to the shore around RAF Leuchars.
''However, the response times will still be well within the hour, and
other civil SAR assets in the region, including RNLI lifeboats, will
continue to be able to mount a rapid and effect response to incidents
inshore and near the coast.''
Politicians from all the main parties reacted angrily yesterday to the
announcement. It was claimed lives would be put at risk and safety cover
in the East of Scotland reduced.
Mr Rifkind, en route to Westminister from the meeting of Nato
Ministers at Gleneagles, denied the closure would leave the East of
Scotland without effective cover.
He said: ''We are going to have a much more sophisticated service
relying on Sea King helicopters. Although the Wessex are very good
helicopters for the most part, they have not been able to be used for
night service. Therefore, there has been an inadequate service in some
areas as a result.
''Leuchars has not met all night-time search and rescue for quite some
time, and already this has had to be met from Lossiemouth.''
Mr Rifkind said he was absolutely satisfied that the search and rescue
requirements at present being met from Leuchars would be adequately
covered, as a result of the changes from Lossiemouth, Prestwick, and
Bulmer.
He also rejected the claims of mountain rescue teams that lives would
be put at risk.
''This criticism cannot be justified. Mountain rescue by its very
nature tends to take place in appalling weather and there are cases
where Lossiemouth has had to be used rather than Leuchars,'' he said.
Coucillor Andrew Gilmour, Tory group leader on North-east Fife
District Council described the decision as short sighted and
ill-advised. He hoped pressure would be put on Mr Rifkind to reverse the
decision before it was too late.
Councillor John Macdougall, leader of the Labour administration on
Fife Regional Council, has asked Mr Rifkind to postpone the closure
until a meeting could be arranged to discuss the possible takeover of
the service by local authorities.
The regional council would welcome the opportunity to discuss this,
particularly the additional funding which he believed the Defence
Ministry would be prepared to make available for the delivery of the
service.
Mr Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat MP for North-east Fife and the
party's Defence spokesman, said it was ''a slap in the face for all
those who have campaigned so hard to preserve the search and rescue
services at Leuchars''.
Labour's Defence spokesman, Dr David Clark, said: ''This short-term
cost cutting may cost lives.''
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