10/07/2010
The Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, Alex Fergusson MSP, will take to the air to gain an insight into the work of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Mr Fergusson will spend the fourth day of his summer programme, on Saturday 10 July, with staff at the Maritime Rescue and Co-ordination Centre in Stornoway to learn about the challenges of covering some of Scotland’s most remote and inaccessible coastal areas and islands.
The Stornoway operation is responsible for an area stretching from Ardnamurchan Point to Cape Wrath on the mainland, and from Barra Head to the island of St Kilda.
Watch Manager Murdo Macaulay will brief Mr Fergusson on the responsibilities of the agency and examples of the work that it carries out.
The Presiding Officer will also meet the MCA’s Coastal Safety Manager Iain Burgess before stepping onboard the coastguard rescue helicopter for a chance to see the operational area from the air.
Mr Fergusson said: “The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is in operation 365 days a year, covering some of Scotland’s most remote and inaccessible areas.
“The work of the agency can be challenging, particularly in such difficult terrain, but the hard work and the dedication of staff ensures the provision of an invaluable, high quality service which makes a difference to people’s lives on a daily basis.”
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible throughout the UK for implementing the Government’s maritime safety policy. This includes co-ordinating search and rescue at sea through Her Majesty’s Coastguard, and checking that ships meet UK and international safety rules. The agency works to prevent the loss of lives at the coast and at sea, ensuring ships are safe and preventing coastal pollution.
This is the third summer programme undertaken by the Presiding Officer. By the end of this tour Mr Fergusson will have visited more than 30 different organisations in every region of Scotland during his past three summer programmes.
The programme provides an opportunity for the Presiding Officer to learn from local people and groups about how the Scottish Parliament is communicating with them and encourages them to do more to engage with Holyrood’s work.
You can now get in touch with the Parliament by text message. Our interactive service enables you to get the name of your MSP by sending your postcode, lets you ask questions about the Parliament and its work, and enables you to request a selection of free leaflets. The number to take advantage of is 07786 209888. Texts are charged at standard network rates. More details can be found on our Text Service page.