Steve Darling welcomes Government U-turn on coastguard volunteers' pay

Torbay MP Steve Darling has welcomed a Government decision to continue paying coastguard rescue officers after plans to remove their hourly remuneration were dropped.

The Government has confirmed that coastguard rescue officers will continue to receive £11 an hour, following a campaign by Liberal Democrat MPs from across the UK opposing proposals that would have seen them become unpaid volunteers.

Mr Darling, who raised the issue in Parliament on several occasions, said coastguard teams play a vital role in protecting both local residents and the thousands of visitors who come to Torbay each year.

During one parliamentary debate, he highlighted the often difficult and distressing work undertaken by coastguard rescue officers, including recovering the bodies of people who have died following drownings or falls from cliffs.

He argued that removing financial compensation from those carrying out such challenging duties would be "nothing short of an insult".

The MP also signed a parliamentary motion opposing the proposed changes and met with local coastguard team members during the campaign.

Following the Government's announcement, Mr Darling said: "I am delighted to see that the Maritime Minister has listened to the concerns of myself and other Liberal Democrat colleagues and will not, in fact, be stripping coastguard volunteers of their remuneration.

"Coastguards do such vital work here in Torbay. As my family and I love sea kayaking and swimming, the threat to this service was very close to home.

"They also do extremely emotionally demanding work and deserve their compensation.

"I will still be meeting with coastguard team members in the coming weeks and look forward to working on this further."

The Government's decision means coastguard rescue officers will continue to receive payment for their duties while carrying out search and rescue operations and supporting emergency incidents around the UK's coastline.