PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES - United Kingdom Parliament

97WS
Written Ministerial Statements
26 MARCH 2013
Written Ministerial Statements
98WS
Franchise (Operator)
Owning Group
Current Franchise Expiry
Date
Duration of Franchise
Extension and/or
Direct Award
Start Date of New
Franchise
InterCity West Coast (Virgin Virgin/Stagecoach November 14 29 months April 17
Trains)
London Midland Govia September 15 21 months June 17
East Midlands (East Midlands Stagecoach April 15 30 months October 17
Trains)
South Eastern (Southeastern) Govia April 14 50 months June 18
Wales and Borders (Arriva Arriva October 18 n/a October 18
Trains Wales)
South West (South West Trains) Stagecoach February 17 26 months April 19
Cross Country Arriva April 16 43 months November 19
Chiltern Arriva December 21 n/a December 21
In my statement of 31 January I announced that the
Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern would be a
management style contract due to the level of investment
and change on the route. For Great Western, our plan is
to put to market a competed management contract in
2016. We will further develop this proposition in the
light of experience with the Thameslink competition,
which has similar infrastructure challenges, and will
give consideration to the capacity in the market closer
to the date.
In order to oversee this ambitious programme the
Government are also announcing the formation of a
new cross-industry Franchise Advisory Panel, headed
by Richard Brown, which will provide independent
advice and support to both bidders and the Department
during the procurement process.
In addition, following an industry consultation, I will
today, publish a revised policy statement under section
26 of the Railways Act. This has been updated to reflect
current franchising policy and completes a Brown review
recommendation.
All the relevant documents will be published on the
Department for Transport website. Copies will be made
available in the Libraries of both Houses.
Search and Rescue Helicopter Services
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick
McLoughlin): On 28 November 2011 the Department
for Transport started a competition to procure search
and rescue helicopter services to replace the joint capability
provided by the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Maritime
and Coastguard Agency (MCA). The procurement process
has now finished, and I wish to inform the House of the
results.
I am pleased to announce that a £1.6 billion contract
has been signed today to provide a search and rescue
helicopter service for the whole of the UK with Bristow
Helicopters Ltd. I would like to recognise the very high
quality and the maturity of the bids provided by the two
companies who reached the final stages in this vital
competition for an emergency service in the UK. In
buying such an important service that protects the
safety of individuals in our maritime industries and in
dangerous conditions on land and around our coastline,
it is vital that we had a robust competition with credible
and thoroughly developed propositions from industry. I
am confident that we did. I am equally confident that
the contract we are entering into with Bristow Helicopters
Ltd represents the best solution for the UK over the
next 10 years.
This contract represents a major investment by the
Government in providing a search and rescue helicopter
service using the most up-to-date helicopters and meeting
the highest professional standards. Operations will
commence progressively from 2015 and the service will
be fully operational across the United Kingdom by
summer 2017.
The contract will enable the RAF and Royal Navy to
withdraw from search and rescue activities in the UK
and retire their fleet of Sea King SAR helicopters. It
will also ensure service continuity when the current
contracted MCA service expires. Services under the
new contract will operate from 7 to 10 years and will be
managed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Experience of front-line operations has informed the
military decision that the skills required for personnel
recovery on the battlefield and in the maritime environment
can be sustained without the need for military personnel
being engaged in UK search and rescue. I want to pay
tribute to the outstanding service personnel who have
displayed such enduring commitment and bravery in
RAF and Royal Navy search and rescue squadrons. The
service they have provided for over 70 years has been
exemplary and the country owes them all an enormous
debt of gratitude. The decision to cease military involvement
in search and rescue in the UK was not made lightly.
But with the Sea King nearing its 40th year of service,
the time has come to change the way the service is
provided and the aircraft used.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and its
predecessor bodies, has 30 years experience of operating
contracted search and rescue helicopter services using
civilian aircrew. The existing MCA search and rescue
contracts have delivered services of the very highest
standards, and highly skilled civilian crews have won
numerous awards for their bravery and dedication.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd is a UK company which has
36 years experience of providing search and rescue
services in the UK, including 24 years with the MCA.
The company has received numerous awards for SAR
missions its civilian crews have undertaken, including
chief coastguard’s commendations, coastguard rescue
shields, the Prince Philip helicopter award and the Queen’s
commendation for a mission in which 60 seamen were
rescued.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd has completed more than
44,000 search and rescue operational hours in the UK
and conducted over 15,000 missions, during which more
than 7,000 people have been rescued by their crews.