Anna Gelderd welcomes pause on Coastguard Rescue Officer payment changes

The South East Cornwall MP says maintaining current arrangements is “an important opportunity to get this right” ahead of further talks in September.

South East Cornwall MP Anna Gelderd has welcomed the Government’s decision to pause controversial changes to call-out payments for Coastguard Rescue Officers, saying current arrangements will be kept in place while further work is carried out.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) had been planning to move to an “expenses-only” volunteer model from September, scrapping the roughly £11-an-hour payments that Coastguard Rescue Officers currently receive for attending call-outs and training. The proposal followed a Court of Appeal ruling earlier this year that found officers carrying out paid activity should be classed as “workers” entitled to employment rights such as holiday and sick pay — a judgment the MCA sought to address by reclassifying officers as unpaid volunteers.

The plan drew opposition from across the political spectrum, with more than 30 MPs raising concerns in a Westminster Hall debate and a subsequent urgent question in the Commons. Campaigners, unions and officers themselves warned that removing the payments could push volunteers to cut their hours or leave the service altogether, potentially leaving gaps in emergency cover during the busy summer season.

The stakes are especially high in the South West, where around 400 officers serve across 36 Coastguard teams in Devon and Cornwall — part of a UK-wide service of more than 3,000 volunteers who respond to cliff falls, water rescues and coastal emergencies in all weathers.

Commenting on the update, Anna Gelderd said: “I welcome the Government’s decision to maintain the current arrangements for Coastguard Rescue Officers while further work is undertaken.

“I have been calling for a pause so that all viable options can be properly considered, particularly ahead of the busy summer period when our Coastguard Rescue Officers play such a vital role in keeping our communities and visitors safe.

“This is not the end of the process, but it is an important opportunity to get this right. I will continue working with local Coastguard Rescue Officers, the Minister and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency ahead of further discussions in September to ensure the best possible outcome for our Coastguard Rescue Officers and the coastal communities they protect.”

Maritime Minister Keir Mather confirmed the pause in Parliament, having previously told MPs that the MCA’s surveys were “not sufficiently detailed to properly reflect the impact of these changes.” Further discussions between the Government, the agency, unions and volunteers are expected to take place in September.