North Cornwall MP Challenges MCA Plan to End Coastguard Pay

A change to how volunteer coastguards are paid is heading down the line later this year, and North Cornwall’s MP wants it stopped before it reaches the people who run towards the cliff edge when everyone else is running away.

North Cornwall Liberal Democrats are urging the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to reconsider plans to end remuneration for volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers. They warn the move could undermine recruitment, retention and the resilience of coastal rescue services across the country.

What the MCA is actually changing

The change follows a Court of Appeal ruling, which upheld a judgment that volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officers are legally classed as “workers” while undertaking paid duties such as emergency callouts and training.

In response, the MCA has said it will move to a revised volunteer model later this year. That model removes the hourly remuneration currently paid to volunteers attending incidents and training exercises. Until now, volunteers have been able to claim £11 per hour for that work.

It comes at a point when these teams are being asked to do more, not less. Volunteer coastguard teams are increasingly tasked to assist ambulance crews when medical emergencies happen in difficult-to-access coastal locations, with Fire and Rescue services no longer routinely able to provide support in many of those situations.

The MP taking it to Parliament

Liberal Democrat North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire has already raised the issue in Parliament, leading calls for action through an Urgent Question and a cross-party Parliamentary motion. Both are aimed at highlighting concerns about how the changes could affect coastal communities nationally.

Ben Maguire MP said:

“Any move to reduce or remove remuneration is deeply concerning. It risks undermining morale, placing additional pressure on individuals already undertaking demanding and often dangerous work, and may ultimately lead to resignations or make recruitment of new volunteers more difficult.”

Ben Maguire’s letter to the CEO of the MCA can be read here. His Early Day Motion on coastguard remuneration can be found here.

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A motion building at Cornwall Council

Liberal Democrats on Cornwall Council are backing Maguire’s Parliamentary efforts, with a motion in support of volunteer coastguards being prepared. It is being led by Cllr Nicky Chopak, Cornwall Councillor for Poundstock, and Cllr James O’Keefe, Cornwall Councillor for Padstow. Both represent coastal communities that lean heavily on coastguard services.

Cllr Nicky Chopak said:

“Volunteer coastguards put themselves on the front line to protect others, often in difficult and dangerous conditions. We’ve seen only too recently the challenges that residents and visitors can face along our coastline, whether that’s getting caught by changing tides, becoming stranded on cliffs, or finding themselves in difficulty in the water. Knowing that dedicated coastguard volunteers are on call provides real peace of mind for local people and the many visitors who come to enjoy our coast. They deserve our support and recognition.”

Cllr James O’Keefe added:

“Every summer, North Cornwall welcomes visitors from across the UK and beyond, many of whom are unfamiliar with the risks our coastline can present. It is vital that everyone can enjoy a safe and enjoyable experience when visiting our beaches, harbours and coastal paths, making the role of our volunteer coastguards absolutely essential. I hope the motion receives support from councillors of all parties because this is an issue that affects communities right across Cornwall.”

Maguire and the Cornwall councillors are now calling on the MCA to sit down with coastguard volunteers and fully assess the impact before the new model takes hold.