Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre stations are available to act as emergency cover in the event of an emergency at the Maritime Operations Centre in Fareham.

The new HM Coastguard national network currently consists of the National Maritime Operations Centre and the Coastguard Operations Centre (CGOC) in Falmouth. They can provide cover for each other in the event of either site not being available.

The level of resilience will increase as more centres transition into the national network. The Coastguard Operations Centre in Holyhead comes on line on 15 December 2014.

The programme will complete in December 2015 when the following centres will have joined the national network, at the date specified:

• Milford Haven – February 2015

• Humber – April 2015

• Aberdeen – July 2015

• Shetland – August 2015

• Belfast – September 2015

• Stornoway – October 2015

• Dover – December 2015