Mountain Rescue Teams
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-03136, in the name of Liz Smith, on Scotland’s mountain rescue teams. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament pays tribute to what it sees as the outstanding work carried out by Scotland’s 28 mountain rescue teams including Tayside Mountain Rescue, which it considers gives selflessly of its time to assist others; notes that Scotland’s mountain rescue volunteers went out over 500 times in 2011 to seek and rescue those in need of assistance, frequently in difficult mountainous terrain, poor weather conditions and often at night; recognises the pressure on what are largely voluntary funds and the new challenges facing Scotland’s mountain rescue teams in the face of public sector reform to emergency services, and would welcome a general public in Scotland that is educated about the responsibilities that it has to be well equipped and well prepared when heading to the hills.
17:07
There was an article in the Sunday newspapers last weekend that ventured the opinion that, once people reach the age of 40, their spirit of adventure declines. The article went on to say:
“by the time people are out of their 40s altogether they will opt for a more sedate lifestyle more of which will be based indoors rather than outdoors”.
It also said that, once people are over 50, they become very risk averse.
I will leave members to ponder which description best fits me but, in recent months, it has been an enormous privilege for me to undertake some work with the Tayside mountain rescue team and to see at first hand the extraordinary commitment that it makes—unpaid and often in very challenging circumstances—when it provides support to members of the public who find themselves in difficulties on the hills or at sea.
Our 27 mountain rescue teams, which are assisted by three police forces and two Royal Air Force teams, are staffed by some of the finest professionals in Scotland: more than 1,000 in all. Last year, 668 persons were assisted by our teams, and a total of 24,000 hours was required in deployment, 24/7 on all 365 days.
The teams give selflessly of their time to assist others, frequently on difficult mountain terrain or in dangerous waters, in treacherous weather conditions and often at night. They do so at a time when the relatively small amount of public money that they receive is under considerable pressure, and when charitable giving is constrained by the effects of the recession. When one considers that it costs a minimum of £6,000 to scramble a helicopter these days and that the annual grant to mountain rescue teams is £339,000, that pressure is put into perspective.
Fundraising is not easy. The mountain rescue service would be the first to admit that it is viewed as very specialist, in the sense that it is relied on by only a very small number of people. It is not easy for it to compete for public money with organisations such as cancer charities, Barnardo’s or the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which obviously have a much wider public appeal. It is true that there are some additional funds that can be provided to assist with extra staff, additional equipment and the mountain weather forecast website—whose accuracy is usually first class—but we should be in no doubt about the pressure under which mountain rescue teams find themselves when it comes to financing their activities.
The issue also needs to be seen in the context of the fast pace of technological change. For example, the newest global positioning system and avalanche detection monitors that are now commonly used in the Alpine countries, which I had the privilege of watching in operation, are extremely hi-tech and expensive. I was told that, in some cases, costs have risen by up to 40 per cent in the past few years, so there is concern about how to balance safety needs with the finance that is available.
The teams are under pressure for a variety of other reasons. First, a growing number of people come to Scotland to enjoy our magnificent mountains and rugged scenery. Although that is extremely good news for us and is greatly to be welcomed from a tourism perspective, it brings its challenges. The number of older walkers and climbers is growing, and statistics indicate that an increasing number come from abroad and outwith Scotland, which makes it difficult to ensure that the public—in the widest sense—are fully educated about the potential dangers.
We often see tourists who are excited by the thought of scaling Ben Nevis or Cairngorm heading out with inadequate clothing and kit. It is easy to understand why if they come from countries where a reliable summer climate means that there is little danger in the hills. That is not so in Scotland, especially this year, when the extraordinary change in weather patterns that we experienced in the spring meant that we jumped from near Mediterranean temperatures to Arctic ones in the space of 48 hours, which had significant implications for climbers and the equipment that they required. Even in mid-May this year, some of our hills—even in places such as Glen Affric and Glen Cannich—were unusually thick with snow and became places for crampons and ice axes rather than the ordinary walking kit that we would normally expect to use.
Public awareness is a major concern for Scotland’s mountain rescue teams. The issue is how best to educate a largely ill-informed public and how to ensure that our schoolchildren grow up with some understanding of the responsibility that is required if they choose to venture on to the hills. On 10 December 2010, there was the high-profile case in the media of some climbers who ill-advisedly set out in Glen Doll against very strong advice from weather forecasters and the Met Office, only to cause 42 volunteers, a helicopter and a full medical team to be involved in their rescue. They appeared to have little appreciation of just what was required in bringing them back to safety.
Raising awareness costs money and requires a considerable amount of time on the part of the experts, who are already required to undertake intensive training. It is an issue that concerns them greatly, and one that requires some imaginative thinking if we are to make our hills a safer place.
There are controversial debates about how much signage can be displayed without spoiling our countryside and whether additional personal insurance should be considered. I understand from some members of the mountain rescue teams who have recently been on training exercises in Austria that we have many lessons to learn from some of the Alpine countries on better co-ordination of the emergency services. Such co-ordination saves valuable time on a call-out and can save lives.
It is on that theme that I would like to finish, given the impending public sector reform changes. New structures for police and fire services will have considerable implications for mountain rescue teams. There is already close co-operation between the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, but the officers of both are wary of some of the implications of the new structures and what they will mean for the best delivery of local services.
Does the member accept that, in many cases, rescues are co-ordinated across force boundaries? For example, in the Cairngorms, Northern Constabulary and Grampian Police will be involved. Also, the member mentioned the RAF teams. There is a history of co-ordination across services and across forces.
Indeed there is. I thank the member for that intervention. My point is that mountain rescue teams are reporting that there is better co-ordination in some other countries. At a time of public sector reform, we must bear that in mind.
Given the lessons that have been learned, we need careful strategic planning that involves all our emergency services, and I know that the Scottish Government is working hard on that. There is a genuine desire to maintain and enhance the voluntary nature of mountain rescue teams, and that needs to be thought through in the context of public sector reform and the financial savings that are required.
In two weeks, after what has been a 30-year adventure for me, I hope to climb my final Munro. In that time, I have thankfully not been involved in any incidents, although it can happen to any climber, however experienced and well equipped they are. I have, however, witnessed three mountain rescues, one of which was particularly dangerous because it was on the Cuillin ridge when a climber had fallen a considerable distance into the very inhospitable gully of Coire a’ Ghrunda. The skill of the mountain rescue team, the helicopter pilot and the medics was second to none, and I am quite sure that that was the reason why a potential fatality was avoided.
These men and women, who give of their time so selflessly, are one of Scotland’s greatest assets. We must do everything that we can to support them.
17:15
I welcome the debate and congratulate Liz Smith on bringing it to the chamber.
I am grateful for the opportunity to pay tribute to the crucial work that is undertaken by every mountain rescue team in Scotland, particularly with so many being operational in my region, the Highlands and Islands. I have occasionally seen team members as they have come back from a successful search and I know the work that they put in and how exhausted they can be after a search. Success is often theirs, and I have seen that too.
As anyone who has climbed a Corbett or scaled a Munro knows, the beauty of our natural landscape viewed from atop one of our peaks is breathtaking. For helping those who fall foul of the elements in that pursuit, our mountain rescue team volunteers deserve our thanks. In 2010, the Scottish mountain rescue team volunteers went out more than 500 times, frequently contending with rugged terrain and often in poor weather conditions or when it was dark. In total, volunteers were deployed for 26,000 hours in 2010, a figure that is made all the more impressive by their year-round commitment to their voluntary role. The Lochaber mountain rescue team in my region attended 72 of those incidents, occasionally in conjunction with other teams, displaying a blend of professionalism and commitment to community service that is an example to us all.
It must be remembered that we have a part to play in ensuring the continuation of such a vital voluntary service. The Scottish Government has given £339,000 to the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland for 2011-12, increasing the general funding stream by £12,000 and providing a one-off grant of £12,000 towards communications equipment. That funding was welcomed on BBC Radio Scotland on Saturday morning by Jonathan Hart, the chair of the Mountain Rescue Committee, who hailed the support and the tremendous opportunities afforded to mountain rescue teams by the move to a single Scottish police force, while maintaining strong local connections. I was particularly pleased to hear him say that he sees the service working more effectively rather than less.
Responsibility for mountain safety must also be shared by the public at large. The Mountain Rescue Committee’s 2010 report points out that
“Summer Hill walking is responsible for more incidents than any other mountain activity.”
Therefore, although those of us who are not into winter climbing or rock climbing might think that they are the only activities that affect the mountain rescue teams, the majority of work is caused by people who just set out for a walk, sometimes, as I have seen, in high-heeled shoes.
The 2010 report also says:
“One third of all mountaineering incidents result from a slip or trip.”
Although it would be impossible to permanently eliminate human error and abnormal weather conditions, we can reduce the number of accidents by continuing to educate ourselves about how best to prepare and how best to take care of ourselves while we are enjoying Scotland’s hills and mountains. I hope that, with continuing support from the Government and the public, and the well-earned publicising of their work, we can help our mountain rescue teams to go from strength to strength. I support the motion.
17:19
I congratulate Liz Smith on securing the debate. I am pleased to pay tribute to the work of the many volunteers who make up the mountain rescue service for their hard work and efforts to rescue people on the hills. From speaking to volunteers in the service, I have learned that many of them do it because they work in the hills or because they love leisure pursuits in the hills and want other people to gain similar pleasure from those areas. They volunteer happily to support others, which is to be commended.
Members have spoken about equipment that has been provided by the Scottish Government. It is right that the volunteers should be equipped as well as possible. Some volunteers perhaps do not have a great deal of private wealth, so we need to ensure that they are well provided with safety equipment. They also need good communications equipment, because it is difficult to find people who are lost on the hills. Some people do not leave good instructions about where they are going, so if someone falls or another accident happens, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly where they are. We therefore need good communications.
I am lucky enough to have been out with an RAF search and rescue team. It was supposedly a training exercise, but we were called out to a real-life rescue. As we got close to the spot where the mountain rescue team said that the people might be found, we all had to take a window and start looking, because it was almost impossible to pinpoint the spot. As a result of everybody in the helicopter looking, we eventually found the people, who were rescued and made a full recovery.
Many people come to Scotland to climb our hills and take part in outdoor activities. Fort William is recognised as the outdoor capital of the United Kingdom, and some of the best mountains and climbing are found near there. Many people, such as Liz Smith, are involved in Munro bagging, which brings an awful lot of people to Scotland and makes a huge contribution to our economy. We have moved away from people just coming to stay in a place—they now want to see and do. The mountain rescue teams make that possible and boost our local economies just because they are there, making that activity safer.
Members have touched on the insurance issue. From my discussions with rescue teams, I believe that they are not keen on an insurance requirement because they see it as a barrier to people making use of the hills and enjoying leisure pursuits. We all know that a minority of people take risks and go out on the hills ill-prepared and without the correct knowledge. We have to do more to ensure that those people are educated about the dangers of being on the hills. Good public information must be available for tourists and the like who do not go into the hills daily. However, I would not like us to move to a situation in which people need to be insured to use the hills. People who are unprepared would not know that they had to take out insurance, so such a provision would deter only those who are responsible and safe.
I pay tribute to the volunteers who provide the mountain rescue service. As well as the service to those who use the hills, they provide a service for the rest of the country. I am grateful for their work and I wish them well in future.
17:23
I, too, congratulate Liz Smith on securing this debate. As a hillwalker who managed to get up Ben Nevis last September, I certainly appreciate the mountain rescue service although—thank goodness—the team did not have to come out for me that day.
Approximately 80 per cent of mountain rescues in Scotland take place in areas that are either in, or overlap, my constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, and eight mountain rescue teams cover the constituency, including those in Glencoe, Ben Nevis, the Cairngorms and on the Isle of Skye.
In 2009, the number of incidents in the Northern Constabulary area, at the heart of which is my constituency, was an incredible 251. The second-highest figure was 72 incidents, which was in the Central Scotland Police area. I quote those statistics to make the point that, of the 27 mountain rescue teams that are affiliated to the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, the busiest are in my constituency. Since the new year, the Lochaber and Glencoe mountain rescue teams have had 75 call-outs.
The Highlands of Scotland have long been praised for the beauty of our majestic mountains and the glorious glens that stretch out before walkers. Mountain rescue is vital to visitors and residents alike.
The Cairngorm team has 43 unpaid volunteers, and the website states that
“all decisions ... are taken in the best interests of the casualty without the thought of recompense or of the cost of the operation.”
The provision of the service is costly for mountain rescue volunteers. In 2009, the Lochaber mountain rescue team devoted 2,122 hours to attending incidents. Each rescue team is modelled differently, and in the Highlands the teams have adopted a northern model, which means that they operate on behalf of the police without police involvement and deliver best value to the public purse. I commend that model to the Government. As part of a local service, team members know the weather, the contours of the hills and their colloquial Gaelic names, and it is important that the service remains local after the creation of a single police force.
It is because of the dedication and sacrifice of mountain rescue teams that I warmly welcomed the Scottish Government’s much-needed announcement last December of an increase in annual grant funding to the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. The money is being spent on equipment and on a project manager, as well as being distributed among the mountain rescue teams, to be spent as they see fit.
Mountain rescue volunteers still have to do a lot of fundraising, however. The Cairngorm team reckons that its members raise more than half of its £100,000 annual running costs. Although the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland is adamant that mountain rescue is sustainable only if it is voluntary, members of the rescue teams find it difficult to give the time that is needed for fundraising.
In Lochaber, the rescue team has been calling for more than just financial support; it also wants a helicopter to be based in Lochaber. As it is, a rescue helicopter can take up to an hour and a half to reach the busiest mountain rescue locations in Scotland as it travels from Prestwick, Lossiemouth, Stornoway or Shetland to Lochaber. A helicopter in the area would much better serve the needs of mountain rescue teams and would save lives. Last year, the Lochaber mountain rescue team called for the assistance of a helicopter on more than 50 occasions, so there is a definite need. As John Stevenson, who was leader of the Lochaber mountain rescue team for four years, said:
“having a helicopter ... would mean you’re taking minutes rather than an hour, and time in any rescue is absolutely crucial.”
I support the team in its aim, and hope that the minister can give some support on this important matter.
17:27
As I congratulate Liz Smith on bringing the debate to Parliament, I would also like to commend her significant climbing achievements in Scotland and abroad and wish her every success when she tackles her final Munro at the end of the month.
Liz Smith raised some important issues in her opening speech. The two that I will stress are the importance of maintaining and enhancing the voluntary nature of mountain rescue teams while recognising the need for strategic planning involving all sectors of the emergency services as they face up to public sector reform, and the need to ensure that people who venture on to Scotland's hills and mountains know the importance of being properly equipped and prepared for the conditions that they may meet due to our rapidly changing weather patterns.
The Braemar mountain rescue team is the one that I know best, so I will pay tribute to its members. It was formed in 1965 and continued a long tradition of local people giving aid and working closely with the local police mountain rescue teams—a tradition that persists today. Over the years, it has included many unsung heroes—local men and women who, out of love of the hills and concern for their fellow human beings, venture out into our hills and mountains in all weathers and conditions, with most of their activity going unnoticed, and seldom talked about by the team members themselves.
Currently, there are 39 members in the Braemar team and, since the beginning of last September, they have completed 32 rescues, from finding missing skiers to helping fallen walkers. In addition to its rescue work, the team has an annual programme of lectures and visits to raise public awareness, and it provides emergency telephones at Derry Lodge and the Spittal of Glenshee, which help to maintain mountain safety and rescue services throughout the north-east of Scotland.
Mountain rescue teams are heavily reliant on voluntary fundraising to maintain their essential and expensive equipment, and there are undoubtedly significant challenges for them at the present time. However, their very essence is their voluntary nature, and public sector reform, especially the creation of a single police force, must take that into account and support that volunteer base, by helping it to develop alongside appropriate public sector financial support.
I once co-ordinated a group of young Conservatives on a sponsored climb of Lochnagar in aid of Braemar mountain rescue. Team members came with us and led our younger members up the more challenging routes, while the rest of us went up the standard path to the top. We had a great day, the young guys learned a lot and we handed the team well over £800—at that time that was a significant sum—which they greatly appreciated. Many groups regularly undertake similar fundraising activities for charity. I encourage more of them to donate at least some of the proceeds to mountain rescue teams, which would put those funds to excellent use.
I will finish, if I may, with an anecdote about an encounter some years ago that left an indelible impression on my memory. On our way back to the Linn of Dee after climbing Ben Macdui with my family on a fairly dismal summer day, on which we encountered some unpleasant misty conditions at the top, where we had to rely on my husband’s skills with a compass to ensure that we got down again safely, we met a family of three—a grandfather with his son and grandson—who were heading where we had just come from but were convinced that they were going towards Braemar. We managed to persuade them to turn round and come with us, and we saw them safely back to Braemar. They were already tired when we met them, they had little food left—having spent the previous night in the Corrour bothy, because of bad weather—and they had no transport from the Linn of Dee to Braemar. They were new to hillwalking and, although they had made the right decision to go home in view of the inclement weather, their inability to map read had resulted in their going in completely the wrong direction. I am in no doubt that, if we had not happened to meet them, they would have become completely lost or worse, and would have become another mountain rescue statistic. The experience was a salutary lesson for that family, and for my own children, on the importance of map reading and other directional skills when venturing out into our mountains, even in summer.
Liz Smith has secured a very important debate and I look forward to hearing the minister’s response to the concerns that she has raised.
17:32
I, too, congratulate Liz Smith on securing the debate.
It is wholly appropriate that we take the opportunity to congratulate our mountain rescue teams and volunteers across Scotland on the courageous and tireless commitment that they give to saving the lives of others and, more generally, to ensuring that the outdoors are safer for us all to enjoy.
There is an understandable tendency to associate Scotland’s mountain rescue activities with locations north of the central belt but, of course, mountain rescue teams also exist across the south of Scotland. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to the Moffat and Galloway mountain rescue teams, which cover hundreds of square miles of the south of Scotland and often join forces to support one another in emergency situations.
Galloway alone is home to more than 40 summits in excess of 2,000ft, which are referred to as Donalds. The highest peak in southern Scotland is the Merrick, at 2,766ft, and the area is also home to countless miles of hill and forest footpaths and cycle trails, whether it be the Cairnsmore of Fleet or along the cradle of Scotland’s independence, as it is known, which starts and ends at Bruce’s stone overlooking Loch Trool, or along the Rhinns of Kells.
Since the Galloway mountain rescue team was formed in 1976 it has responded to more than 400 incidents—in all weather conditions, day and night—which have covered a wide range of emergency situations. Happily, the vast majority of the incidents are resolved successfully.
One of the extraordinary aspects of our mountain rescue teams—one that is greatly cherished by those of us who enjoy outdoor pursuits—is that they seldom, if ever, publicly criticise individuals who have found themselves in difficulty, even when some criticism might be justified.
That is why I am particularly pleased that Liz Smith’s motion calls on those of us who enjoy outdoor pursuits to be properly equipped when we take to the hills, to have a basic understanding of map reading, as well as of the conditions that we are likely to encounter, and to ensure that someone knows where we are going and when we are due to return. If we take more responsibility in those ways, we will not only reduce the chances that we will need to be rescued, but will greatly increase the chances of our own survival and the survival of others, should we find ourselves in difficulty.
I urge those who seek to try the wonderful outdoor pursuits that Galloway has to offer to visit the hill safety page of the Galloway mountain rescue website before they set out. I urge them, while they are on that website, also to visit the fundraising pages. Funding is an issue that is of constant concern to the teams of volunteers who work tirelessly and selflessly in difficult conditions to ensure the safety of the public. When the Scottish Government increased its funding for mountain rescue teams last December, Deputy Chief Constable Andy Cowie, the mountain rescue lead for the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, said:
“there is no doubt that without the bravery and commitment of these volunteers, the police in Scotland would find it very difficult, if not impossible, to fill the gap that would be created.”
The funding was also welcomed by Galloway mountain rescue team chairman Derek Hamilton, who said that the extra funding would assist the work that was being done to refit their new mobile control facility vehicle.
However, it is not only Government that supports the activities of our mountain rescue services. As is the case elsewhere, the Galloway mountain rescue team enjoys considerable support from a range of local and national companies that generously assist with provision of essential clothing, communications and transport. The support of local communities and the general public is important, too.
It is a genuine privilege to pay tribute today to our mountain rescue teams throughout the country. They are staffed by dedicated and courageous men and women of all ages and from every walk of life, who give their time and skills so that we, the general public, can enjoy our outdoor pursuits in comparative safety. I express my sincere gratitude to the scores of volunteers who give their time to local mountain rescue teams. They are an inspirational group of people, who deserve more than just our thanks. I am looking forward to spending at least part of my summer out and about in the Galloway hills, and to doing so safely. I support the motion.
17:36
As a Highlands and Islands MSP, I congratulate Liz Smith on securing this debate on an important subject, and on being on the verge of completing the ascent of all the Munros in Scotland, which is no mean feat, to say the least.
I pay tribute to all the mountain rescue services in Scotland for the lives that they save and thank them for the personal risks that they take in order to do so. Like the men and women of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, those men and women are heroes and members of the finest of clubs, with the highest of principles. I particularly commend my local mountain rescue team in Oban, which is often out on Ben Cruachan, and the Glencoe mountain rescue service, which does so much.
I cannot leave the chamber without mentioning Hamish MacInnes of Glencoe—a man who is revered in mountaineering circles and who, with his colleagues, has brought help and succour to so many people in distress. I commend his writings on mountaineering to those who have not been lucky enough to read them.
If ever a service could be said to be an outstanding example of the best of the big society, it is the mountain rescue services of Scotland. They have earned the gratitude of so many. Long may they continue to do so.
I call Roseanna Cunningham to close the debate.
17:37
As you can see, Presiding Officer, I am going to try to read my speech from my iPad. It is the first time that I have tried this in the chamber, so there may be one or two hiccups, for which I apologise in advance.
I congratulate Liz Smith on securing the debate. I am sure that everyone in the chamber agrees with her sentiments. Although I do not profess to be a Munro bagger, from time to time I have been able to wave to Liz while we have both been out walking separately. I congratulate her on what is about to be a personal achievement. I am sure that she has enjoyed every single minute of it.
The civilian mountain rescue teams in Scotland are a powerful example of the culture of voluntary service of which Scotland can be proud. My colleagues Michael Matheson and Fergus Ewing have been actively involved in mountain rescue teams in the past so, even within the Government, we know how important the teams are.
In 2011, the mountain rescue teams were deployed 573 times and committed more than 23,000 hours throughout Scotland to search for and rescue those in need of assistance. That is a remarkable achievement by a service that is staffed entirely by volunteers. The teams are a vital service to those who use Scotland’s hills and mountains.
Many mountain rescue teams get involved in building community resilience in lowland areas. We have become accustomed to thinking about them only in terms of the high hills, but they are important in lowland areas, too. We need only look back to the severe winter of 2010, when Scotland experienced the worst winter weather since 1965, to discover mountain rescue teams transferring patients to hospital when road ambulances could not function and transporting doctors and other essential workers to and from work. Their efforts supported the NHS and kept vital services going. There is no doubt that mountain rescue teams provide excellent support to emergency services and to Scottish communities, as well as just simply saving lives in our mountains, hills and remote areas.
The Scottish Government supports the Scottish mountain rescue service financially and it has an excellent and productive on-going working relationship with the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. That is a partnership that we are very proud of. In December, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice announced at the Ochils mountain rescue centre that the Scottish Government would increase the Mountain Rescue Committee’s annual grant funding by 4 per cent, from £300,000 to £312,000. Scotland is the only part of the UK that provides an annual Government grant to voluntary mountain rescue teams, so let us at least give ourselves a pat on the back for that.
Members may be aware that the new facilities in the Ochils were built with financial support from St John Ambulance in Scotland, which has provided significant funding for mountain rescue bases and transport since the late 1990s. I commend its continuing support for the mountain rescue teams. The Government has provided a further £12,000 for communications and is providing a further £50,000 in partnership funding over two years—last year and this year—towards a project manager’s post. Overall, funding in 2012-13 will total £322,000, which will help to continue the delivery of a first-class, front-line, voluntary service that is free at the point of delivery.
The motion highlights the need for public education, and I think that we all agree on that. Through sportsscotland, the Scottish Government provides funding of around £155,000 each year to the Mountaineering Council of Scotland to promote public education on mountain safety issues. There are a number of different organisations involved in the network. The funding supports a mountain safety adviser to provide education to the public. That includes skills courses, free winter safety lectures and online training resources that target the common causes of mountaineering incidents, such as poor navigation, bad planning and the effects of winter conditions.
The MCS provides a range of services, such as mountain training and the mountain weather information service. A further £137,000 goes to the avalanche information service at Glenmore lodge, which also plays a key role in information gathering.
I will pick up on a couple of the points raised by Liz Smith. I think that she said that the cost of calling out a helicopter is £6,000. That may very well be the true cost of each call-out but, of course, that is not a charge as such on the mountain rescue services, the Government or anybody else, because it is borne by the Ministry of Defence, which treats each call-out as a training exercise. I think that I am right in saying that Prince William is still a pilot who is used in exactly that type of scenario.
Liz Smith also mentioned personal insurance. That approach is superficially attractive, but I think that I am right in saying, along with Rhoda Grant, that it would not be universally welcomed by the mountain rescue teams. Apart from the point forcibly made by Rhoda Grant that it would put barriers in place, there is a fear that it would result in professionalising what is currently a voluntary service. In Switzerland, the mountain rescue workers are full time and paid, and that is done through insurance.
One of the issues that have been raised with me is the harmonisation of insurance for the mountain rescue teams. Will the minister look at that and bring our services up to the best standards, which are those in the northern area?
I am happy to look at anything that will help the situation and, if Dave Thompson wishes to writes to me, I will see what can be ascertained for him.
The move to single services next year was mentioned. When that happens, land-based search and rescue will continue to be a police responsibility, which will give us an opportunity to further improve co-ordination. In any case, circumstances must already be worked out across different services. I assure the Mountain Rescue Committee that officials are engaging with police and fire representatives and other organisations about future resilience arrangements.
I will quickly mention, for obvious reasons, the Tayside mountain rescue team, as the motion recognises how well it is linked to existing resilience structures. It is important that the team assisted in the development of the Tayside strategic co-ordinating group’s rescue plan, which is looked on as a good example by other parts of Scotland because of its effective, joined-up, multi-agency approach to incidents.
Liz Smith referred to the increase in the number of overnight visits to Scotland. I cannot be the only one in the chamber who listens to radio reports about someone in difficulty and, while waiting with a sinking feeling to hear what happens to them, learns that they are individuals from outside Scotland who started off their walk or climb on a beautiful day only to discover very soon that they were in a different climate altogether, not understanding what our climate is like. That point was well made by Liz Smith.
I have no doubt that, with continued support and assistance from the Scottish Government and others, the voluntary mountain rescue teams will rise to the increasing challenge. They represent the very best traditions of community voluntary service. I am sure that members will join me in sincerely thanking them for their admirable courage and dedication in assisting, wherever and whenever they are called upon, all who need them.
Meeting closed at 17:45.