Danielle Hewson The Politics Show BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

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Search and rescue to be privatised?

There is growing concern over government plans to privatise search and rescue services. The Politics Show for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire reports.

Beautiful but deceptively inhospitable, the region's countryside attracts millions of visitors every year. Most people leave safely but some do not.

Last year volunteers from the Scarborough and District Search and Rescue Team were called out on 40 operations, many of those involved working alongside the RAF.

Relationship changes

The partnership has been built over decades and is one that Andy Crossley is worried about losing: "Any change in working relationship is a concern.

Andrew Crossley: Worried about changes

"Working with the RAF we work on a level playing field, our services and theirs working in harmony together.

"Whether that would continue with privatisation, I hope it would but it is a concern that we do have."

So far details about exactly what changes will take place and when have been limited but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stressed the age of the current Sea King helicopters mean changes do need to be made.

In a statement it said: "We have an opportunity to bring together the three current SAR strands into one harmonised service, and in the process to deliver a service that is better value for money to the tax payer and is as effective as the current one."

David was winchman and Martin Temple RAF pilot

Privatisation could work

Former RAF winchman David Allen who spent many years based at RAF Leconfield believes that privatisation could work if it is handled properly.

"Bringing it under one umbrella has got to be the way ahead. The efficiencies of the whole thing are staring you in the face."

But both he and his former colleague Martin Temple do fear that any purely civilian service could find itself hampered by health and safety issues and insurance requirements, issues that don't effect military operations.

"At the end of the day if the job was called and the bell went it was up to the captain's discretion whether he went on the job or not.

"He would decide at the time whether it was suitable and 99 times out of 100 he would go and at least give it a try.

"If any civilian organisation was constrained they may say no we cannot do it so the job does not get done."

Is the Rescue team threatened?

Early day motion

And it is the uncertainty which has prompted the Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, to put down an early day motion demanding answers.

For a start he wants to know where any private service would be based?

What would happen to existing RAF bases like those at Leconfield and Leeming?

And above all why do changes need to be made to a service that many feel is second to none?

Graham Stuart is MP for Beverley and Holderness

"If there are effective services already provided you should be very careful before you stumble in and make changes on the basis that bigger is better.

"Very often this government has gone bigger but it has not got better so we need to ensure that the service is protected and we need more detail.

"How they are going to make this happen ... we have no answers."

But the MoD says all that is still to be reviewed.

The Politics Show

Let us know what you think.

Join presenter, Cathy Killick, on the Politics Show next week, Sunday 11 June 2006 at 12:00 on BBC One.

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