Many of you will know already that, despite all our best efforts, the Secretary of State for Transport has decided to press on with closing the Portland search and rescue helicopter base.
Together with campaigners in Weymouth and Portland, and further afield, I am fighting on.
Keeping this invaluable asset is essential in a county as bound up with the sea as ours.
Only the most bone-headed civil servant could look at the data – which shows a quarter of all coastguard callouts in the entire country happen within half an hour of Portland – and scrap this helicopter.
The Minister assured me that because she was ‘improving’ the service, no local consultation was necessary.
I don’t agree.
Although the new helicopters will be faster, they will be based further away.
And they are still subject to operational limitations.
For example, you cannot fly further, for longer, for free.
Nor can one helicopter be in two places at once.
As fewer helicopters will be available overall to do the same job, the service will undoubtedly lose its integrity.
And certainly, there is a wealth of local knowledge which should have been drawn upon, particularly as lives are at risk.
The decision was based upon ‘modelling,’ which was then validated by independent ‘consultants.’
I believe it is over simplistic and I have asked the Transport Secretary for her department’s analysis and methodology, plus the data and assumptions used.
As far as I can see, their conclusion was that the new helicopters will be flying further for longer for free.
As that is clearly impossible, I would like some answers.
I make no apology for focusing on this issue.
It is too important to let it go.
I urge you all to sign the petition.