asked the Secretary of State for Trade how many people were rescued by the Coastguard Service and Air Sea Rescue services during each year since 1969; and how many deaths occurred in each of these years.

Separate figures for persons rescued by Her Majesty's Coastguard are not available. The main role of the Coastguard is to initiate and co-ordinate action by the United Kingdom search and rescue services, which include the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Ministry of Defence helicopters. The numbers of persons rescued in search and rescue incidents involving the Coastguard during each year since 1969 are listed below. The numbers of lives lost in incidents at sea reported to the Coastguard in those years are also listed.