Tag: 2023

PRESS RELEASE : UK welcomes efforts, by all parties, to build upon the relative peace we continue to see in Yemen [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 January 2023.

Statement delivered by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council briefing on Yemen.

Thank you President.

And let me thank Special Envoy Grundberg and USG Griffiths for your briefings. We are hugely grateful for the work they and their teams continue to do for the Yemeni people.

The UK welcomes efforts, by all parties, to build upon the relative peace we continue to see.

All steps towards a negotiated, Yemeni-led political settlement under UN auspices, are steps towards the longstanding peace that Yemenis deserve.

This is the only way to fully address the humanitarian situation, which remains dire across the country.

While efforts continue to seek a lasting solution to the conflict, we must intensify efforts to improve the immediate humanitarian situation alongside addressing long-term drivers of the humanitarian crisis.

Mr President,

The Houthi block on oil exports has plunged the Government of Yemen into dire economic straits. We urge the international community to take all steps to mitigate this impact and support Yemen’s government at this critical time.

With the launch of the Humanitarian Response Plan at the end of this month, the UK encourages all donors, current or prospective, to stay committed to alleviating the suffering of the Yemeni people.

To ensure access to lifesaving assistance, we further call on authorities in the north and south for unfettered access of our partners across the country.

As Martin has outlined, the introduction of mahram requirements in the north, does the very opposite.

We call for an immediate end to these restrictions that curtail Yemeni women’s ability to both deliver and access crucial aid and remain employed.

Finally, I want to reiterate our concern about the delays surrounding the operation to salvage the FSO SAFER tanker to which the UK has dispersed £6 million in funding.

To avoid a wholly preventable crisis, we call on the UN and all parties to continue working together at pace. Urgency needs to be balanced with rigour, but we must identify ways to avoid further delays.

Thank you.

January 16, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : £3.6 million fund launched for projects to help parents reduce conflict [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 16 January 2023.
- Bidding process for share of £3.6 million fund to help families where children are exposed to conflict
- Local authorities, digital firms and expert public, private and voluntary sector organisations invited to bid
- Projects must support disadvantaged parents and those with complex needs, or any parent needing support through digital and interactive self-help tools
Successful bidders will receive a minimum £150,000 grant to back their projects, between June 2023 and November 2024.

The application window opens today (16 January), closing on 24 February 2023. Potential applicants must also complete an eligibility check by 8 February.

Applicants can include local authorities or other public sector organisations, private sector companies working in digital for example, or social enterprises, voluntary or community organisations.

Bidders’ projects will need to fall into one or both of the following strands:
- projects that support diverse families at a greater risk of parental conflict
- projects that use digital tools to support parents experiencing conflict and/or self-guided tools that central government could integrate into its services
Since launching in 2018, the DWP’s Reducing Parental Conflict programme has been pivotal in finding ways to address relationship distress between parents, to protect children’s mental health.

The programme supports couples and separated parents to reduce conflict, so their children have healthier environments to grow up in and can reach their full potential as adults.

The programme has already worked with all 152 local authorities in England and dozens of organisations to lead the way in building a solid evidence base on what works to help families.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

Conflict between parents can have a lasting impact on children, affecting their school grades and life chances.

Our projects are guided by the expertise of those working closest with families, who often witness the impact of conflict on children and can support with solutions.

With the launch of our new £3.6 million Challenge Fund, I look forward to seeing the innovative, workable ideas of experts so we can help more families overcome difficulties and improve their lives.

The main fund will be managed by Ecorys UK in coordination with other government departments’ programmes including Family Hubs and Supporting Families. Ecorys UK will review applications for funding and oversee the delivery of final projects.
January 16, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Civil servants given tools to spot economic abuse victims [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 16 January 2023.
- New toolkit to help frontline public sector staff identify and signpost support for economic abuse victims
- Victims can have benefits controlled or be forced by their abuser to accrue debt to government
- Around 16% of adults are estimated to have experienced economic abuse
Frontline government staff are to be trained to identify signs of economic abuse, so they can support vulnerable people and prevent them accumulating debt, the Cabinet Office has announced today.

Economic abuse, which domestic violence charity Refuge estimates 16% of adults in the UK have experienced, is when an individual’s ability to acquire, use and maintain economic resources are taken away by someone else in a coercive or controlling way.

The Economic Abuse Toolkit is made up of clear guidance which can be used by frontline staff, across departments including HMRC and DWP, to help them identify and support vulnerable individuals who are suffering from economic abuse.

This includes advice on spotting the signs and creating an appropriate environment for victims to disclose their experiences.

Staff will be trained on how to handle any declarations sensitively and then ensure victims get access to support, helping to ensure vulnerable people don’t accumulate debt to the government.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin said:

Economic abuse is an abhorrent crime and we are determined to use all levers of government to stamp it out.

It is a problem that is often hard to spot and this new toolkit will give staff on the front line the tools to help identify and protect vulnerable people.

Through helping people access the support they need, this toolkit will help us tackle this crime and get victims out of abusive relationships and into safe spaces.

In a public sector setting, forms of economic abuse can include:
- Abusers preventing victims claiming support which they are entitled to in order to make them financially dependent
- Victims being unable to communicate their financial position and therefore not being able to access government support
- Victims being unable to claim for support due to the abuser putting everything in their own name
- Abusers putting bills to government in the victim’s name and then refusing to pay
- Abusers gaining access to financial information regarding the victim without adequate consent
Specialist charity Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA), which was one of the organisations which contributed to the Toolkit, registered an 85% increase in traffic to their website during the pandemic.

SEA research also found seven in ten front-line professionals reported the number of victims of economic abuse coming to their organisation for help had increased since the start of the pandemic. By the end of the first lockdown, SEA found one in five women were planning to seek help around welfare benefits which could put more vulnerable people at risk.

Tackling domestic abuse is a government priority and improving the response to economic abuse is integral to this. For the first time in history, economic abuse is now recognised in law as part of the statutory definition of domestic abuse included in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This is in recognition of the devastating impact it can have on victims’ lives.

Minister for Safeguarding, Sarah Dines said:

Domestic abuse can come in many forms, and economic abuse is a particularly insidious one, with significant and complex impacts on victims.

Following the passage of the Domestic Abuse Act and the publication of our Domestic Abuse Plan, I am committed to building on this momentum to improve the response to economic abuse. The public sector and its frontline services have a key role to play in this.

Plans are underway for departments to integrate the guidance into their training for frontline workers, but it’s hoped the Toolkit will be utilised by other parts of the public sector including local councils.

Money Advice Plus CEO Karen Perrier said:

Victim-survivors often find themselves with multiple debts from multiple sources. Given this drastic picture, it is vital that both public and private sectors provide informed support to victim-survivors so they can move forward with economic safety and stability.

The development of the Economic Abuse Toolkit will enable government staff to support victim-survivors with greater confidence and Money Advice Plus was happy to bring their expertise to its development.

The Toolkit was created by the Fairness Group, a collaboration led by the Cabinet Office’s Government Debt Management Function which brings together central and local government, debt advice sector and the debt collection industry.
January 16, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Northern Ireland Protocol, January 2023 – joint statement from the Foreign Secretary and Vice President Šefčovič [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 January 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič met via video conference, along with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris met via video conference today to discuss the work on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland since their last meeting on 9 January.

The two sides discussed the range of existing challenges over the last two years and the need to find solutions together to tackle comprehensively the real-life concerns of all communities in Northern Ireland and protect both Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s internal market and the integrity of the EU’s Single Market.

They agreed that this scoping work for potential solutions should continue in a constructive and collaborative spirit, taking careful account of each other’s legitimate interests.

January 16, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : DLUHC announces Chief Scientific Adviser appointment [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 16 January 2023.

Following a rigorous recruitment campaign Professor Richard Prager has been appointed to the role, succeeding Professor Alan Penn. Professor Prager is currently Head of the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University and Academic Director of Cambridge Online Education. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering & Technology, and of Queens’ College Cambridge.

In this role Professor Prager will support the science and engineering profession in the department, offer advice on specific initiatives and work with other CSAs across government to enable work to be informed by appropriate data and scientific principles.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Richard Prager said:

I am delighted to be joining the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and to have a chance to build on the strong scientific and engineering foundations that Professor Alan Penn has created. I will be particularly interested to contribute to the department’s work in sustainable housing, building safety and the integration of evidence across different aspects of society. I am also looking forward to collaborating with CSAs from other departments on broader strategic projects.

The team of government chief scientific advisers aim to ensure, through advising ministers and senior officials, policy decisions are evidence-based and supported by the highest-quality scientific evidence and understanding.

January 16, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Refuge’s Ruth Davison responds to the plea entered by serving Met police officer David Carrick [January 2023]

The press release issued by Refuge on 16 January 2023.

In response to the plea entered by serving Met police officer David Carrick today, Ruth Davison, Refuge Chief Executive said:

Today, the platitudes must end. The crimes that David Carrick is accused of committing are utterly abhorrent, and his ability to be appointed and continue to serve as a police officer, while multiple allegations against him had been received by the force, will terrify women and girls up and down the country.

What has come to light today is barbarous and I send solidarity to the brave women who have come forward and reported these crimes. When a man who has been charged with 49 offences, including 24 charges of rape, is a serving police officer, how can women and girls possibly be – or feel – safe. The police are supposed to be our first line of defence, they are supposed to protect us from violent crime, they are supposed to hold perpetrators to account. Instead, the people who commit violent crimes against women are able to hold positions of power within the force and use their authority and status to abuse and harm, seemingly with impunity.

For too long, we have heard that things will change, that lessons are being learned, that mistakes will not be allowed to happen again. There has been enquiry after enquiry, promise after promise. But I see little evidence of any change today, and I ask myself what has to happen before crimes against women and girls are taken seriously?  Last year, the government agreed to make violence against women and girls a strategic policing priority, yet here we are again, learning about the numerous violent crimes committed by a man whose job it was to protect the public. As he stood in the dock today, David Carrick remained a serving police officer. One who had been authorised to carry firearms.

We cannot continue to be told that these are isolated incidents, that this is ‘one bad apple’. Last month, the director general of the IOPC stood down, after serious allegations were made against him. If the office responsible for investigating police misconduct is having to investigate its own director for allegations of crimes committed against a woman, then how can anyone have any faith in its ability to regulate against misconduct across the wider force?

Time and again, across the VAWG sector, we have called for more training, for more investment, for the police to work with specialist frontline organisations like Refuge, so they can better understand the dynamics of domestic abuse and so that officers can better understand the patterns of behaviours that perpetrators display. How can you prevent something you do not understand?

In this particular case, David Carrick was first reported to the police in 2001, before he even joined the force. He should never have passed intake vetting. There then followed a series of other complaints against him, including further incidents of domestic abuse. Sadly, as the CEO of the country’s largest specialist domestic abuse provider, it comes as no surprise to me that these incidents were dismissed as a ‘non-crimes’ and no action was taken. The first chances to stop this serial abuser were missed. If domestic abuse had been recognised and treated as the serious crime it is, how many of his later crimes could have been prevented?

Numerous other reports and complaints were made. Every single one of them should have raised the alarm. But none of them were taken seriously and no action was taken. Carrick was able to continue in post and was later issued with a licence to carry a firearm. Over the course of almost two decades, more and more brave women came forward to report crimes they allege were committed against them by Carrick. Those women were let down by the police and Carrick went on to abuse and harm more and more women, in ways which I cannot begin to comprehend.

What happens next must change the culture of policing for good. A force which breeds a culture of violent misogyny is not a force which can even begin to protect women and girls. Unless radical change to the way the policing system works across the country happens immediately, then women and girls will remain unsafe, and they will not have the confidence to come forward and report the violent crimes committed against them. Violence against women and girls has reached epidemic levels, and if the police cannot protect us from harm, then we must demand that they change the way in which they police violent men.

January 16, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Met condemns officer, David Carrick, guilty of most serious sexual offences [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Met Police on 16 January 2023.

The Met today condemns the appalling criminal actions of a serving officer after he pleaded guilty to multiple rapes and other serious sexual offences.

David Carrick appeared at Southwark Crown Court today (Monday, 16 January) and entered guilty pleas to false imprisonment, indecent assault and four counts of rape. At a previous hearing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 13 December he pleaded guilty to 43 offences including 20 counts of rape, and further counts of controlling and coercive behaviour and sexual assault.

He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a hearing to take place at Southwark Crown Court beginning on Monday, 6 February.

Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, the Met’s lead for Professionalism, said: “On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I want to apologise to the women who have suffered at the hands of David Carrick.

“I commend their outstanding bravery in coming forward and reporting the horrific crimes they were victims of.

“Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of many years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes.

“He has devastated women’s lives. He has had a devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn. He has devastated colleagues.

“He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims. We know they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed.

“We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.

“We are truly sorry that Carrick was able to continue to use his role as a police officer to prolong the suffering of his victims.

“I would also like to recognise the work of the Hertfordshire Constabulary officers whose thorough investigation has meant Carrick’s victims have been spared the further ordeal of a trial.”

After Carrick was charged with rape in October 2021, the Met began a thorough review of his service, his conduct and complaints record, any occasions on which he had come to the notice of the police and his vetting.

It was established that he was on police systems in relation to a number of off duty incidents both before and after his employment as a police officer. These incidents were in the Met’s force area and in those of other forces.

With the exception of his arrest in October 2021, none of these incidents resulted in any criminal sanction at the time.

However, when the overall case history is examined now in detail, it reveals a pattern of behaviour that should have raised concerns regardless of the outcome of individual incidents.

AC Gray added: “The duration and nature of Carrick’s offending is unprecedented in policing. But regrettably he is not the only Met officer to have been charged with serious sexual offences in the recent past.

“Our work to identify and rid the Met of corrupt officers is determined and focussed.

“As the Commissioner has said, we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who are engaged in corrupt or criminal behaviour using all the available tactics and techniques at our disposal.”

In response to the recent report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and the interim findings of the Baroness Casey review, the Met has invested millions of pounds and brought in over 400 additional officers and staff to identify and investigate offenders within the police service.

A dedicated Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offending investigation team has been set up with over 50 experienced investigators targeting any officer or staff member who may be engaged in domestic abuse or sexual offences.

All current officers and staff who have previously been the subject of allegations of sexual offending or domestic abuse, where allegations couldn’t be proven and were not subject of misconduct hearings, are subject to an ongoing review.

A new Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command is proactively investigating and identifying officers and staff who abuse their positions of trust whether on duty or off duty, in person or online.

There has been significant investment in intelligence capabilities and in the skills of specialist investigators.

A thorough audit of national police databases, to identify intelligence and information about officers and staff that may not be known by the organisation, is under way.

An internal appeal is asking Met officers and staff to report corruption and abuse and for the first time in policing, an anti-corruption and abuse hotline has been launched, in partnership with Crimestoppers, where the public can anonymously report Met officers and staff who abuse their positions of power and trust.

Further information about David Carrick:

Carrick was arrested in October 2021 and was immediately suspended.

A thorough and complex investigation was carried out by Hertfordshire Constabulary, culminating in the guilty pleas entered at court. Met officers have provided every possible assistance and cooperation to the investigation throughout.

As soon as Carrick entered his first guilty pleas, his pay was stopped and the accelerated misconduct process was initiated which will conclude with a hearing to be held in his absence on Tuesday, 17 January.

After Carrick was charged, a thorough review was carried out covering his career history, any complaints received during his service, occasions that he came to the notice of police and his vetting.

Career history:

Carrick joined the Met in 2001. He initially worked as a response officer in Merton and Barnet. In 2009 he transferred to what is now the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command where he remained until his arrest and suspension in October 2021.

He had no prior service with any other police force.

Public complaints:

Carrick was the subject of five complaints from members of the public during his Met service. They were all received between 2002 and 2008 and none were of a sexual nature.

Two complaints alleged that Carrick had been rude in his manner towards members of the public. These were investigated and dealt with by management action locally.

Three further complaints, relating to incivility and use of force, were received but subsequently withdrawn or dismissed.

Off duty matters:

We identified that Carrick had come to the attention of the Met and other forces on nine* occasions prior to October 2021 but that on none of those occasions had he been charged with a criminal offence.

2000 (MPS)

Prior to the start of his police service, he was a suspect in two offences involving the same female victim. One involved an allegation of malicious communications and the second an allegation of burglary.

The victim was a former partner. Carrick had refused to accept the end of their relationship.

He was not arrested and no further action was taken in relation to either allegation.

*The above two allegations are counted separately as they were reported at different times within the same year.

2002 (MPS)

Carrick was accused of harassment and assault against a former partner. He was not arrested and no further action was taken in relation to the criminal investigation.

This was after the start of his service as a police officer, but the matter was not referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards. Information about this matter and our review of it has been shared with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

2004 (MPS)

Carrick was involved in a domestic incident. No criminal allegations were made, he was not arrested. The matter was not referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards as there was no criminal allegation.

2009 (Herts)

Hertfordshire Constabulary officers responded to a third party report of a domestic incident involving Carrick. No criminal allegations were made and he was not arrested. Records held by Hertfordshire in relation to this incident suggest Met supervisors were informed at the time however no record of this has been found on Met systems. It doesn’t appear a formal referral to the Met was made.

2016 (Hants)

Carrick was initially a suspect in a Hampshire Police investigation following an allegation of harassment. He was not arrested and the investigation was later closed.

2017 (TVP)

We understand that Carrick was spoken to by Thames Valley Police officers having been ejected from a nightclub in Reading for being drunk. This information has been provided by a third party and there is no record of the incident on police systems. It is understood Carrick was not arrested and the matter was not referred to the Met.

2019 (Herts)

It was alleged that Carrick had assaulted a woman during a domestic incident dealt with by Hertfordshire Constabulary officers, specifically that he grabbed her by the neck.

No further action was taken. The matter was referred to the Met and Carrick was given words of advice in relation to informing his chain of command about off duty incidents.

Following the decision to take no further action in relation to the criminal allegation, it was determined he had no case to answer in relation to misconduct. Information about this matter and our review of it has been shared with the IOPC.

2021 (Herts)

In July 2021, Carrick was arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary following an allegation of rape. The victim ultimately decided not to proceed and in August it was decided that no further action would be taken. The victim was later spoken to again as part of the current investigation and the offences she disclosed are among those Carrick has pleaded guilty to at court.

The 2021 matter was referred to the Met at the time and Carrick was placed on restricted duties.

When the criminal allegation was not proceeded with, it was determined that he had no case to answer in relation to any misconduct matters and in September the restrictions were lifted albeit Carrick never returned to full duties. Information about this matter and our review of it has been shared with the IOPC.

Were these incidents to have occurred today, we are more confident that they would have been identified as forming a pattern of behaviour requiring further investigation even in the event that individual allegations had been withdrawn.

Cases where no further action is taken in relation to criminal allegations are now more likely to be further interrogated to identify any underlying concerns.

We have a dedicated team of officers who make up the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit in our Directorate of Professional Standards who are taking allegations forward, supporting victims and ensuring we build evidence against officers where we believe they have a case to answer.

Vetting:

Carrick was vetted on joining the Met in 2001 and again in 2017. On both occasions his vetting was successful, but we know the vetting requirements (the types of checks undertaken) were not as robust for either of these clearances as they are now.

He should have been re-vetted after ten years of service. Delays in re-vetting of officers have previously been identified as an area that the Met needs to improve and significant improvements have already been made.

The Met’s approach to vetting has changed significantly in recent years and is now far more robust. We are confident that someone applying to join the Met today with the same pre-employment history would not receive vetting clearance.

A review of Carrick’s case has also determined that were he to have been re-vetted following his arrest in 2021 according to the processes in place today, he would not have received vetting clearance.

It is now the case that if an officer or staff member is arrested or is being investigated for a serious offence, consideration is given to a full review of that individual’s circumstances including the possibility that re-vetting would be required.

This is a change from the approach that was in place in 2021 when such an arrest did not always result in consideration of a vetting review.

Vetting is one of the focuses of ongoing reviews and any learning identified in this case will be fed into those pieces of work.

January 16, 2023
Julian Lewis – 2023 Speech on Lifeboat Services – Search and Rescue

The speech made by Sir Julian Lewis, the Conservative MP for New Forest East, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 10 January 2023.

It is a privilege to take part in this debate, and our thanks are due to my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster) for making that possible.

We all come to an awareness of volunteer lifeboat crews in different ways. In my case, it was as a schoolboy growing up in Swansea. I remember in the 1950s visiting the Mumbles lifeboat and noting its unusual name. It was called the William Gammon, and it was in later years that I learned the reason for that. It was named after a particularly heroic coxswain of a previous lifeboat—a man who had been awarded a bronze and a gold medal for incredibly brave rescues in 1941 and 1944, but lost his life, together with seven colleagues in his crew, in the great disaster of 23 April 1947, when a former Liberty ship, the SS Samtampa, broke up off Sker Point off the coast of south Wales.

I remember going to the reference library on a research project and looking at the South Wales Evening Post report of that disaster. The headline—I think I am right in rendering it—said: “One terrible tragedy after another in the channel”. It showed the upturned lifeboat and the wrecked ship. That image has never left me. It is a tradition of which everybody who volunteers to serve in lifeboats is all too aware.

In those days, one had to go back to the newspapers to try to relive the experiences and heroism of the lifeboat crews, but today we have modern media. If colleagues on both sides of the Chamber take away only one thought from my brief contribution, it should be this: I urge them to go online and have a look at a BBC documentary called “Cruel Sea”. They can find it on YouTube. It was made in 2006 to mark the 25th anniversary of another disaster—the loss of the Penlee lifeboat. It is a quite extraordinary piece of television; they will never forget it, and I advise them to have a box of Kleenex tissues by their side. I have seen it several times, and I always find it hard to maintain my composure.

The documentary is about the way in which that crew and its coxswain, the late Trevelyan Richards, went out to try to rescue eight people on a vessel, the Union Star, whose engines had failed and was drifting toward the rocks. It contains the actual recordings of the messages that went back from the Penlee lifeboat to the command station, which tried to communicate with the boat. At one point—this was watched by a helicopter crew who were powerless to intervene but saw everything—the crew had managed to get four of the eight people off the ship. The waves were 60 foot high. The Penlee lifeboat was lifted up and actually came down on the deck of the ship it was trying to save the crew from, before being washed off. The crew went back one last time to try to get the last four people, and at that point they were lost.

The thought that remains with me is the calmness of the voice of Trevelyan Richards in moments of extreme peril, right up to the point at which the radio goes silent and we just hear the command station calling, “Penlee lifeboat, Penlee lifeboat, come in.” Of course, it never could. It is an unforgettable programme. It is a great tradition that, to this day, comes down to independent lifeboats such as Solent Rescue, which operates from Lepe in my constituency, and to RNLI stations such as RNLI Calshot. It operates with a 112-foot tower at Calshot Spit, with the aid of the National Coastwatch Institution, spotting the people who get into difficulties in the Solent. Frankly, these are the finest people we will ever know. I do not think I can say anything further than that.

January 16, 2023
Caroline Dinenage – 2023 Speech on Lifeboat Services – Search and Rescue

The speech made by Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons, on 10 January 2023.

It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster) for securing the debate, not least because it gives me the opportunity to wax lyrical about my constituency, and its proud record of supporting the search and rescue services. My constituency is right on the border with Titchfield, where the search and rescue HQ, which he mentioned earlier, is located. The helicopters take off from my very own Gosport constituency—at Daedalus, where the Maritime and Coastguard Agency does a lot of its training.

Today I will talk specifically about the wonderful Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service—an independent lifeboat and inshore rescue service that was founded in 1969, so has been around for a really long time. It is a declared facility to the UK coastguard, providing emergency lifeboat cover to the eastern Solent and Portsmouth harbour. Those who know the area will know that that is an incredibly busy stretch of water—certainly the busiest on the south coast, if not one of the busiest in the UK. There are Navy vessels coming out of Portsmouth, cruise ships and freighters coming out of Southampton, a significant number of yachts, personal water craft, dinghies, and a whole range of stand up paddle boarders and kite surfers; it is pretty crowded out there in the summer months. GAFIRS provides an essential service to civilian safety, and I simply cannot stress its value enough.

GAFIRS responded to 135 incidents in 2022, making the year its busiest in 12 years and third busiest in the last 29. In those 135 incidents, it assisted 171 people, eight of whom were “life at risk”, including marine emergencies and first aid assistance on shore. Of the incidents, 126 were HM Coastguard taskings.

GAFIRS is managed and delivered solely by a tremendous team of volunteers. We have heard all about the incredible volunteers that support the service and make it flourish. Our volunteers are of a variety of ages and come from a whole swathe of professions. They operate 24/7, 365 days a year. To put that in context, 61 of the coastguard incidents in 2022 were weekend duty day taskings, with the crew on standby at the station or afloat on patrol, but 65 were out-of-hour pager callouts—33 daytime, 14 evening and 18 night-time. Volunteers are giving their time, day and night, often at unsociable or typically non-working hours. Of course, it is a commitment not just by the volunteers, but by their families, who should not be forgotten, as they support these great sacrifices.

Like all the other independent lifeboat services, GAFIRS relies solely on donations and receives no Government funding at all, which is why I could be found in the sea on new year’s day, alongside hundreds of my constituents in fancy dress. I was not in fancy dress myself, but my youngest son was dressed as a 6-foot tall banana and could easily be seen from any drone; he is a shy, retiring soul! GAFIRS is remarkable and very well valued by local people, which is why people are prepared to go into the sea on new year’s day dressed in a variety of different costumes.

Mark Garnier (Wyre Forest) (Con)

My hon. Friend speaks passionately about the work of the inshore volunteer lifeboat services. Does she agree that inland lifeboat services such as the Severn Area Rescue Association—which works incredibly hard at times of flooding along the River Severn, as far as Bewdley and Stourport—do just as good a job with just as many personal sacrifices in terms of time and effort as any others?

Dame Caroline Dinenage

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The water gives us so much enjoyment and pleasure but can be a dangerous place. There are challenges up and down the country, inland and at sea, that volunteers rise to every single day.

The response time of GAFIRS is incredible. For all 135 incidents, the average time from being alerted to being in attendance or standing down was just over 16 minutes. The volunteers are, quite simply, local heroes; lives would be lost without them. They do not only respond to a variety of incidents; my hon. Friend the Member for Clacton (Giles Watling) spoke about the importance of training people to understand the dangers, and our volunteers actively promote water safety. In 2022, they provided 29 sea safety education talks to 1,194 local children and 100 teachers and leaders.

Before I sit down, I want to take the opportunity to thank the National Coastwatch Institution, which operates out of Fort Blockhouse and Lee-on-the-Solent. It provides eyes along the coast and is an invaluable service to local people. I am extraordinarily proud to have it and GAFIRS in my community, and I want to put on the record my enormous thanks and gratitude to them for everything they do.

January 16, 2023
Giles Watling – 2023 Speech on Lifeboat Services – Search and Rescue

The speech made by Giles Watling, the Conservative MP for Clacton, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons on 10 January 2023.

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster) for securing this terribly important debate.

One of the first things I did when I moved to my constituency of Clacton many years ago was to join the local lifeboat service at Walton-on-the-Naze as a volunteer. I had this theory—probably a mistaken one—that, as a keen yachtsman and a user of water all my life, it would be nice to see friends when I got into trouble.

There is no doubt in this Chamber that the contribution of the RNLI is great, and the people at Clacton and Walton-on-the-Naze lifeboat stations are an amazing bunch of people, who deserve all the support we can give them. However, sadly, a young man named Sujal Sahu lost his life in Clacton this summer when visiting my constituency. The RNLI was brilliant in its efforts and it must not be let down. The service in Walton-on-the-Naze, in my patch, is reducing at the moment; the boat is being changed. The resources are being spread out across the constituency, but the service needs further support to help prevent loss of life.

That brings me to my main point, which is about prevention. As an avid yachtsman—I am chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on water safety—it is abundantly clear that we must educate people on the dangers of water. There are two piers in my constituency: Clacton pier and Walton pier. Near these obstructions on the beach are sand scoops—areas where the tidal current rushes past faster. People who come to the coast and do not know about coastal dangers can walk into such areas and find themselves, on a wonderful, hot summer’s day, suddenly in a very dangerous situation indeed; the sand beneath their feet has gone, the tide is running, and if they do not know how to swim or how to behave in water, they are at incredible risk.

In the summer, I held a water safety event—I invited schools to the beach so that pupils could learn how to behave safely around potentially dangerous water—but the issue prevails all year round; we heard about the recent sad case in Solihull. If we truly wish to support those who get into danger around water, we must support water safety education.

January 16, 2023