On 13 May 2006 12:41:15 -0700, "214Fells" <[email hidden]> wrote:
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Well the Beeb is also rightly concerned
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4767961.stm
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:Quoted message said:
'Pay to be rescued' fears voiced
The fleet of Sea King helicopters needs to be replaced
Mountain rescue teams have voiced fears that moves to partly privatise
search and rescue helicopters may lead to casualties having to pay to be
rescued.
RAF and Navy teams currently carry out the rescues for free because they
are regarded as invaluable training.
Scottish rescue teams fear the Ministry of Defence will want to make people
pay once it becomes clear how much it costs to rescue civilians using
helicopters.
But the MoD said it had "no current plans" to impose charges.
It announced last week that the RAF and Navy search and rescue services
would be partly privatised.
How are these private companies going to recover these costs?
Cameron McNeish
Great Outdoors Magazine
Send us your views
The MoD said the Joint Search and Rescue Helicopter (SAR-H) project would
go ahead as a Private Finance Initiative.
It wants the replacements for the existing fleet of Sea King search and
rescue helicopters to be provided by a commercial company.
The government said the move would deliver the same high standards as the
current service and provide better value.
But the Scottish National Party warned that replacing the services could
hit standards and lead to job losses.
Scotland's mountain rescue teams have also voiced fears.
Rescue mission
They believe it is only a matter of time before the MoD wants to make
casualties pay for helicopter rescues, as already happens in some other
European countries.
Cameron McNeish, the editor of the Great Outdoors Magazine, said: "If this
is privatised then there will be many recoverable costs.
"How are these private companies going to recover these costs? Will they
charge the MoD every time they go out on a rescue mission?
"Will they also charge the MoD, and will the MoD pay, if they go out to
rescue a mountaineer who gets into difficulties?"
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newsreader, say Agent, and a newsserver, say news.individual.net. These
will allow them: to see only *new* posts, a killfile, and other goodies.