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Rescue Services: Helicopters

Volume 502: debated on Wednesday 9 December 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopter call outs of each type from each search and rescue station there were in each of the last 10 years; and how many (a) day and (b) night time hours off-station each call out entailed. (303634)

I am placing data showing the number of helicopter call outs of each type from each search and rescue (SAR) station in each of the last 10 years in the Library of the House.

Information on the actual daytime and night-time hours off-station for each call out is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Further data on military SAR activities is published by Defence Analytical Services and Advice at the following link;

http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php?page=66&pubType=0

All UK SAR helicopter units are able to provide overlapping cover when an adjacent unit is either already committed to a SAR operation or operating at a reduced capability for any reason, or during periods of temporary closure. The provision of adjacent SAR cover is standard practice and occurs routinely when a SAR helicopter is already airborne on a search and rescue sortie or is unserviceable.