Stornoway Coastguard Task Group welcomes inquiry

The Stornoway Coastguard Task Group has welcomed news that the House of Commons Transport Select Committee is to hold a full Inquiry into the MCA Consultation on the future of the Coastguard Service.

Leader of the Task Group, Cllr Angus Campbell, said;

“This is a very welcome development.  It is essential that the MCA proposals are subject to rigourous scrutiny and that all factors are taken into account before any decisions are taken.  This Select Committee Inquiry clearly demonstrates the level of concern that exisits in regard to the MCA proposals.  I hope that this Inquiry will provide an opportunity for the Task Group and our colleagues in Shetland, Orkney and Highland to give evidence as to why we believe these proposals are so fundamentally flawed.  In that regard I think it would be an excellent development if the Committee could take evidence locally to allow them to see first hand the many unique aspects of delivering the service in the north of Scotland, not least of which are our Gaelic place names.  On the back of this announcement of an Inquiry I will therefore be writing to invite the Transport Committee to hold part of its Inquiry in the Outer Hebrides, so that they can see at first hand the situation here and the resulting demand for local knowledge if an efficient and responsive service is to be maintained.”

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