Oral Answers to Questions — Transport – in the House of Commons at 9:30 am on 27 June 2013.
Mark Menzies
Conservative, Fylde
9:30,
27 June 2013
What steps his Department is taking to improve coastal safety.
Patrick McLoughlin
The Secretary of State for Transport
The Department works closely with many organisations to promote safety around our coast.
Last year we saw an increase in accidents around this time of year, and, while I want to encourage everyone to enjoy our beautiful coast this summer, I want them to stay safe and to follow the advice of organisations such as the coastguard, the RNLI, the National Water Safety Forum and the Royal Yachting Association so that they enjoy their time around the coastline.
Mark Menzies
Conservative, Fylde
Over the summer months, millions of tourists will flock to tourist resorts such as Lytham St. Annes and the Fylde coast. Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that all will be done to keep our inshore waters as safe as possible to encourage more people to holiday here in the UK?
Patrick McLoughlin
The Secretary of State for Transport
My hon. Friend is right that many constituents will flock to the coast, including the coastline in his Constituency and many others around the UK. Our coastline is fantastic, attractive and beautiful, but it is also dangerous and people should not take risks or underestimate it.
Louise Ellman
Chair, Transport Committee, Chair, Transport Committee
Amphibious vessels such as the Duckmarine that recently sank in Liverpool appear to have at least three regulators: VOSA and the traffic commissioners; the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and the Driving Standards Agency. Will the Secretary of State ask the accident investigators to consider whether this split regulation and split responsibility is the best way to guarantee public safety?
Patrick McLoughlin
The Secretary of State for Transport
Of course we are all very concerned about the incident that happened in Liverpool and I will talk to the inspectorate about it. A report is being prepared by the marine accident investigation branch. I will want to see what that says and I shall take the point made by the hon. Lady as Chair of the Select Committee.
Iain McKenzie
Labour, Inverclyde
It has been revealed that the maritime rescue co-ordination centre in Belfast has been staffed below risk level on 191 shifts this year alone. Does the Minister find that acceptable, and, if he does not, what is he doing about it?
Patrick McLoughlin
The Secretary of State for Transport
It is vital that we have cover, and if there is low availability pairing arrangements ensure that others take over that cover. We will not demur from our responsibility.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
Pairing is an arrangement between two MPs of opposing parties that allows them, with the agreement of the Pairing Whips, to miss occasional votes in the House. If two Members from opposite sides of the House both agree to miss a vote, then by agreeing to differ they would cancel out each other's vote, so neither Member need turn up. MPs are generally only allowed to pair on votes that are not three-line whips.
Normally, the relationship between pairs is long-lasting and the system brings together some strange bedfellows. Labour MP Marjorie Mowlam and Conservative Cabinet minister Michael Portillo were an established `Pair' before the 1997 General Election.
It is often difficult for new MPs to find an available backbencher to pair with.
Where the government side has a large parliamentary majority, some MPs will be without a pair so, except for crucial votes (some three-line whips), a number of unpaired MPs may be allowed to be absent at specified times on a rota basis. This is known as a bisque.
