Chair criticises Minister's decision to stop coastguards giving evidence
11 May 2011
Louise Ellman has written to Mike Penning MP criticising his decision to instruct Coastguards to decline to give evidence to the Committee when they visit stations at Falmouth and Stornoway.
Chair's comments
Speaking about the letter, the chair of the committee Louise Ellman MP said today:
"I am extremely concerned that the Minister, in contradiction to the assurances given to me and other MPs, has instructed coastguards not to give evidence to the Select Committee in its investigation into the government's plans on the future of the coastguard service.
It is a very serious matter that coastguards are prevented from giving evidence in this way.
I will be discussing this situation with the committee and will be raising it with the Minister when he appears before the Committee on May 24."