UKC

Sorry if this has already appeared here, I couldn't see it though.

Just stumbled over this and it sounds like it could be pretty unpleasent for MR etc if things don't get sorted...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/10/mountain_rescue_radio/

which links to

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7662989.stm

Nick

In reply to nbarrass:

This is a scandalous plan in many ways.

The potential effect on voluntary rescue organisations like mountain rescue is fairly obvious. You all need to write to your MP on that one.

However, they state that 30% of spectrum is used by the Ministry of Defence. The emergency services use another slice and of course other government departments use terrestrial and satellite spectra for all kinds of work. It is not difficult to deduce that over half of the spectrum is used by the government themselves.

This seems to indicate that a huge proportion of the money raised from use of the radio spectrum will be coming from government departments and I have to ask if it is really worth all the hassle and short and long-term costs just to make large sums of money go round in circles for little purpose. If I was a civil servant, I would definitely say it was worth it from a security standpoint: civil service job security, in the ridiculous pointless bureaucracy that will be created.

Get writing.

In reply to nbarrass: I shall be writing to my MP, not that he'll be interested - he has a safe seat bolstered by the council houing tenants of Rhyl(probably the least interested in things like MR)

In reply to nbarrass: Meant to ask, does this only relate to Scotland or can it affect MR throughout the UK?

In reply to nbarrass:
see link below
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=324351

In reply to mypyrex:

It certainly applies across the entire UK as one can see from the RNLI reaction. I don't know the details of the arrangements for licensing for MRT in England and Wales but I expect the effects to be similar.

A quick flick through the MR England and Wales site reveals no news on this matter.

Can somebody clarify?

In reply to nbarrass: Its particularly smelly considering £22byn the Government took from selling commercial bandwidth for 3G licenses. Obviously Charitable rescue work that HMG doesn't have to find funding for counts for nothing.

In reply to timrivett:

Yes, but see mine was first!

Nick

In reply to nbarrass: Given the possible implications of this and the nature of this website I'm surprised that there's so little "interest" in it.

I am drafting a letter to my MP

In reply to mypyrex:

>Given the possible implications of this and the nature
>of this website I'm surprised that there's so little
>"interest" in it.

Must admit I thought the same. But as long as people that are reading and not responding at least email MPs/OFCOM then that's good enough.

I'd echo calls on the other thread for a news item on it. After all, the BMC reception at No.10 got one showing how important the government thinks the outdoor folk are, so why are MR teams getting threatened with massive charges while volunteering to save lives.

Nick

In reply to nbarrass:
>.


not just threatened! £25 K for a Landroveer, £300 to £600 for radios, rents, fuel, Insurances and thats just on team based stuff!

Privately there's maintainance and running costs of vehicles over and above 'normal' social, domestic,pleasure business use

In reply to Anonymous:

Absolutely. I was just referring to this particular new way to sap resources from them. (Sorry, I meant "new way to help them realise the true value of the radio space they use.")

Nick

In reply to nbarrass:


yup, especially after certain grants have been cut from the National MR budget, and the Government flatly refused a proposal to help ME E&W financially in a similar was as the Scottish teams!!

In reply to Anonymous:

Scottish Parliament Written answers. Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Rescue Service
Michael Matheson (Scottish National Party)
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the present funding arrangements for mountain rescue teams.
Kenny MacAskill (Scottish National Party)

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution made by Scotland’s mountain rescue teams to the safety and well being of the public. The voluntary service provided by team members ensures that many thousands of people can participate in outdoor activities safe in the knowledge that expert assistance is at hand should the need arise.
The Scottish Government is committed to providing substantial levels of support to our mountain rescue service and funds totalling £300,000 will be provided to the mountain rescue committee of Scotland during 2008-09. We have no immediate plans to review the present funding arrangements.

In reply to Anonymous:

Joined up thinking on how to stop joint operations between MRT and air sea rescue helicopters?

When will these civil servants have to get a degree in common sense, probably never because very few would ever get O levels, never mind a degree.

I think we should do some blue sky thinking and run the flag up the flagpole, up someones arse.

In reply to nbarrass:

No trouble getting to sleep tonight! This consultation document is ... yawn ... so boring. Especially since much of it is composed of the art of elevating the blindingly obvious.

In reply to sutty:


Thing is these people have never been got up at dark 'o' clock in the morning for a call out, and have absolutely no idea as to what is involved in Volunteer SAR. All they know is that it happens and the greatful british public shell out for it! Meanwhile the Govt. continues to fritter away our tax pounds on all sorts of 'projects' most of which we the public are kept in the dark about

In reply to nbarrass:

There is now a petition on this matter on the Number 10 petitions site:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MRT-RF-licences/

In reply to timrivett:

Signed.

In reply to timrivett: Likewise, signed.

In reply to timrivett:
signed

In reply to timrivett: Signed although I think it should also have mentioned the RNLI.

In reply to Dave80: Ah, just found this one as well http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences/ Probably worth signing both.

In reply to KeithWakeley:

signed

In reply to nbarrass:
Signed

A shame that one petition didn't encompass all the charitable life saving organisations (MRT, SARDA, RNLI and others).

In reply to nbarrass:
This extra radio cost for the MRT's & RNLI follows the decision to move helicopters from UK emergency services to Afghanistan (see earlier threads) so they now have 2 problems. It is wrong, although I suspect that HMG are thinking about money first these days. I have signed the online RNLI petition to HMG, but don't know if the UK MRT teams have a united, collective body to approach OFCOM. If they have & can get a petition together, I will sign that too.
My interest is twofold. I have a personal interest in both rescue services.
1)The RNLI because women in my family have been left widowed by the sea with children to support.(I also worked at sea & contribute to the RNLI)
2)I grew up in Cumbria, within the climbing fraternity i.e I climbed.
Will this thread be too much for the censors?

In reply to nbarrass: I've just found & signed the MRT petition to OFCOM/HMG

In reply to ScraggyGoat:
already one on for RNLI prior to this one.

In reply to nbarrass: Check this out
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/howtorespond/form

Question 6.

Just filled in my responce, didn't read the full doc but here is the link to the cover

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/

The consult finishes on the 30th Oct so get you responces in a deluge of views might help in the long run...

Cheers Dave B