Radio charges may force lifeboat stations to close
Discussion
Is there nothing they won't do to sqeeze more money out of the public? The RNLI is funded by us, the taxpayer.
text
Radio charges may force lifeboat stations to close
Lifeboat crews who save hundreds of lives off Britain's coast each year could disband following a Government move to charge them for radio licences.
By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent
A lifeboat: Radio charges may force lifeboat stations to close
The review of maritime frequencies charging by Ofcom could cost the RNLI £260,000 a year, money better spent on providing lifeboat services Photo: CHRISTOPHER JONES
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution and smaller search-and-rescue charities face paying massive fees for the use of maritime frequencies following a review by regulator Ofcom, which controls the broadcasting spectrum.
Smaller groups which survive on council grants and charitable donations warn that they may be crippled by bills running into thousands.
Cameron Critchfield, coxswain and fundraiser of the independent Solent Rescue Lifeboat Organisation, said: "An extra bill like this would pretty much hammer us into the ground. It could quite easily shut us down.
"We are trying to raise funds for a new boat and we wouldn't be able to do that if we had to raise funds to just use the radio."
The lifeboat and its crew cover an area of 33 square miles of the western Solent, and rely on a council grant of £1,200 a year.
Mr Critchfield called the new charges a "bombshell" and added: "There are about 50 independent rescue boats in Britain and I'm sure many of them would be in the same precarious position as us if these charges are introduced."
Adam Rossiter, coxswain of Hemsby Inshore Rescue Service in Norfolk, said: "Any charges like this would really cut into our money. If we lose a lot of the cash set aside for life-saving we may not be able to manage the service."
Charges for VHF frequencies could come in as early as next year, with even higher levies expected for users of shore-based radar from 2010.
Ofcom has set out plans to bring "market forces" into maritime and civil aviation communications, in a policy it calls Administered Incentive Pricing or AIP. The regulator has issued a consultation paper and is seeking responses by the end of next month.
Peter Bradley, operations staff officer of the RNLI, said move would cost the charity a quarter of a million pounds a year, and would have a disastrous impact on fundraising.
He said: "If they apply AIP without a discount we would have to find an extra £260,000 a year. That's a lot of money when you think in terms of lifeboat days and little old ladies collecting pound coins. We could buy several inshore lifeboats for the same amount.
"The government rely on us to provide this search and rescue service, at a cost of £124 million a year, but they want to charge us for the pleasure of doing it.
"If you include inland services such as mountain rescue - who I expect will be asked for fees next - the cost will run to millions that charities will be asked to raise, in order to hand it to the government.
"We should not have to pay at all. We should be given a 100 per cent discount. We will be writing to our supporters this week to encourage them to respond to the Ofcom consultation."
While lifeboats themselves will not be charged to use the radio frequencies, said the proposed charges would have a huge impact on shore-based lifeboat stations and pagers used by the RNLI and other organisations to alert crews for urgent launches.
The RNLI already pays £48,000 a year to use radio frequencies on its vessels, at a discount of 50 per cent from the commerical rate. It also pays £3 million a year in VAT.
Proposals for AIP were based on a report commissioned by the government in 2004 from the economist Professor Martin Cave.
Ofcom said of Prof Cave's study: "That review's central theme was that the management of the radio spectrum can be carried out most effectively if market forces are harnessed to a much greater degree than in the past.
"Ofcom believes that this will encourage efficiency in spectrum use, by increasing the likelihood that spectrum will be held by those who can make best use of it, and by creating more freedom for spectrum to be used for more valuable applications."
Ofcom said it was "inviting views on whether charities whose objective is the safety of human life in an emergency should receive a discount" but it has not yet indicated the level of any potential concession.
Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, said: "At a time of economic uncertainty when many voluntary organisations are deeply worried about fundraising, Ofcom should be mindful of any impact that these plans will have on excellent organisations such as the RNLI."
Caroline Lucas, a Green Party MEP who has launched a campaign to win 100 per cent discounts for charities, said: "It's almost unbelievable that a vital emergency service like the RNLI receives no government funding at all.
"We should be doing all we can to support the lifeboat crews, and taking this new expense off their shoulders is a small gesture that could be a great help."
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "This is a consultation and we are open to hearing people's views. We are consulting on whether life-saving charities should get a discount compared with other users."
text
Radio charges may force lifeboat stations to close
Lifeboat crews who save hundreds of lives off Britain's coast each year could disband following a Government move to charge them for radio licences.
By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent
A lifeboat: Radio charges may force lifeboat stations to close
The review of maritime frequencies charging by Ofcom could cost the RNLI £260,000 a year, money better spent on providing lifeboat services Photo: CHRISTOPHER JONES
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution and smaller search-and-rescue charities face paying massive fees for the use of maritime frequencies following a review by regulator Ofcom, which controls the broadcasting spectrum.
Smaller groups which survive on council grants and charitable donations warn that they may be crippled by bills running into thousands.
Cameron Critchfield, coxswain and fundraiser of the independent Solent Rescue Lifeboat Organisation, said: "An extra bill like this would pretty much hammer us into the ground. It could quite easily shut us down.
"We are trying to raise funds for a new boat and we wouldn't be able to do that if we had to raise funds to just use the radio."
The lifeboat and its crew cover an area of 33 square miles of the western Solent, and rely on a council grant of £1,200 a year.
Mr Critchfield called the new charges a "bombshell" and added: "There are about 50 independent rescue boats in Britain and I'm sure many of them would be in the same precarious position as us if these charges are introduced."
Adam Rossiter, coxswain of Hemsby Inshore Rescue Service in Norfolk, said: "Any charges like this would really cut into our money. If we lose a lot of the cash set aside for life-saving we may not be able to manage the service."
Charges for VHF frequencies could come in as early as next year, with even higher levies expected for users of shore-based radar from 2010.
Ofcom has set out plans to bring "market forces" into maritime and civil aviation communications, in a policy it calls Administered Incentive Pricing or AIP. The regulator has issued a consultation paper and is seeking responses by the end of next month.
Peter Bradley, operations staff officer of the RNLI, said move would cost the charity a quarter of a million pounds a year, and would have a disastrous impact on fundraising.
He said: "If they apply AIP without a discount we would have to find an extra £260,000 a year. That's a lot of money when you think in terms of lifeboat days and little old ladies collecting pound coins. We could buy several inshore lifeboats for the same amount.
"The government rely on us to provide this search and rescue service, at a cost of £124 million a year, but they want to charge us for the pleasure of doing it.
"If you include inland services such as mountain rescue - who I expect will be asked for fees next - the cost will run to millions that charities will be asked to raise, in order to hand it to the government.
"We should not have to pay at all. We should be given a 100 per cent discount. We will be writing to our supporters this week to encourage them to respond to the Ofcom consultation."
While lifeboats themselves will not be charged to use the radio frequencies, said the proposed charges would have a huge impact on shore-based lifeboat stations and pagers used by the RNLI and other organisations to alert crews for urgent launches.
The RNLI already pays £48,000 a year to use radio frequencies on its vessels, at a discount of 50 per cent from the commerical rate. It also pays £3 million a year in VAT.
Proposals for AIP were based on a report commissioned by the government in 2004 from the economist Professor Martin Cave.
Ofcom said of Prof Cave's study: "That review's central theme was that the management of the radio spectrum can be carried out most effectively if market forces are harnessed to a much greater degree than in the past.
"Ofcom believes that this will encourage efficiency in spectrum use, by increasing the likelihood that spectrum will be held by those who can make best use of it, and by creating more freedom for spectrum to be used for more valuable applications."
Ofcom said it was "inviting views on whether charities whose objective is the safety of human life in an emergency should receive a discount" but it has not yet indicated the level of any potential concession.
Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, said: "At a time of economic uncertainty when many voluntary organisations are deeply worried about fundraising, Ofcom should be mindful of any impact that these plans will have on excellent organisations such as the RNLI."
Caroline Lucas, a Green Party MEP who has launched a campaign to win 100 per cent discounts for charities, said: "It's almost unbelievable that a vital emergency service like the RNLI receives no government funding at all.
"We should be doing all we can to support the lifeboat crews, and taking this new expense off their shoulders is a small gesture that could be a great help."
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "This is a consultation and we are open to hearing people's views. We are consulting on whether life-saving charities should get a discount compared with other users."
article said:
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "This is a consultation and we are open to hearing people's views. We are consulting on whether life-saving charities should get a discount compared with other users."
I always find this type of attitude astonishing... How can they justify their position? They know exactly what is written in their own document, what THEY are recommending and yet they still write it, knowing that they are significantly increasing the costs of everyone involved, not just an important registered charity. Hasn't she has just answered her own question..? Should a life-saving charity be granted a break to do it's job..? Er, yes..?
Buffalo said:
article said:
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: "This is a consultation and we are open to hearing people's views. We are consulting on whether life-saving charities should get a discount compared with other users."
I always find this type of attitude astonishing... How can they justify their position? They know exactly what is written in their own document, what THEY are recommending and yet they still write it, knowing that they are significantly increasing the costs of everyone involved, not just an important registered charity. Hasn't she has just answered her own question..? Should a life-saving charity be granted a break to do it's job..? Er, yes..?
Cretins.
Should you wish to read the whole document, it can be found here:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/
Responses in by the end of October.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/
Responses in by the end of October.
The word "Discount" shouldnt even enter the equation
100%, nothing more, nothing less
The taxpayer is paying for a service that the goverment should supply - we are an island, hence require a service for maritime rescue, whats so f
king hard to understand about that
These people give up their spare time to put their lives in danger to rescue those in distress and OFCOM want to chargre them £260,000 for radio comms?
Absolutely un fking believable
Oh, actually, its OK -
This is obviously where the Govt. will get the cash to give £700 laptops to benefit scroungers
100%, nothing more, nothing less
The taxpayer is paying for a service that the goverment should supply - we are an island, hence require a service for maritime rescue, whats so f
king hard to understand about thatThese people give up their spare time to put their lives in danger to rescue those in distress and OFCOM want to chargre them £260,000 for radio comms?
Absolutely un f
king believable Oh, actually, its OK -This is obviously where the Govt. will get the cash to give £700 laptops to benefit scroungers
Edited by AngryApples on Sunday 28th September 11:22
Saddle bum said:
Is there nothing they won't do to sqeeze more money out of the public? The RNLI is funded by us, the taxpayer.
I hate to be pedantic but the RNLI is a charity it isn't funded directly by the taxpayer, it raises it's money from donations, legacies etc. as well as from grants. All of which is even more reason why this is nonsense and they should be exempted.
This is bloody terrible. To even think about charging the RNLI for anything is a disgrace. I have just been for a weeks jollys in Cornwall and was taken on a guided tour around Falmouths Severn class boat, I really enjoyed the visit and the stories of rescues etc, these chaps are seriously brave, give their time and in some cases lives, freely and without thought for themselves.
The RNLI is independant from the government, totally, they refused to be adopted as they want to control what they do and how they do it therfore rely solely on charity donations, fund raising etc.
I live in Manchester, not really coastal! but we are members of 'Shoreline', the RNLI membership. Botom line is, one day I may be on a ferry or a fun boat fishing when on holiday, if something happened I would need them then, £46 a year or so to know I mayhave contributed to savin a life, great value for money IMO.
The RNLI is independant from the government, totally, they refused to be adopted as they want to control what they do and how they do it therfore rely solely on charity donations, fund raising etc.
I live in Manchester, not really coastal! but we are members of 'Shoreline', the RNLI membership. Botom line is, one day I may be on a ferry or a fun boat fishing when on holiday, if something happened I would need them then, £46 a year or so to know I mayhave contributed to savin a life, great value for money IMO.
I don't believe the RNLI want to be funded by the government since it would take away their independence. Can you imagine a bunch of beaurocrats like the ones in your local council being responsible for running the RNLI - they'd be too busy completing H&S reports on why it's blowing a gale force 2 and it's too risky to go into the sea. They'd take away all the boat slides as they'd be deemed a hazard etc etc..
What bunch of clots didn't consider that services like this should be free for what is an essential service - exactly the same as the mountain rescue teams are who will be in the same boat to pardon the pun.
RNLI
What bunch of clots didn't consider that services like this should be free for what is an essential service - exactly the same as the mountain rescue teams are who will be in the same boat to pardon the pun.
RNLI
Motorrad said:
The RNLI should have government funding in any case.
The RNLI deliberately avoid government funding as it's the ONLY way of involving government interference.
Imagine if the government was involved - immediately half the funding would be withdrawn, then half the remainder would be wasted on bringing in more layers of management and irrelevant target setting.
siscar said:
Saddle bum said:
Is there nothing they won't do to sqeeze more money out of the public? The RNLI is funded by us, the taxpayer.
I hate to be pedantic but the RNLI is a charity it isn't funded directly by the taxpayer, it raises it's money from donations, legacies etc. as well as from grants. All of which is even more reason why this is nonsense and they should be exempted.
Personally, the RNLI and the Poppy Appeal are the charities I seek out to donate to.
RNLI men = Big Cahones.
Edited by Saddle bum on Sunday 28th September 13:34
Edited by Saddle bum on Sunday 28th September 13:35
The T Boy said:
Motorrad said:
The RNLI should have government funding in any case.
The RNLI deliberately avoid government funding as it's the ONLY way of involving government interference.
Imagine if the government was involved - immediately half the funding would be withdrawn, then half the remainder would be wasted on bringing in more layers of management and irrelevant target setting.
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