Lifeboat Petition

[Al Milton]

Our benevolent Government seem intent on bleeding more cash. I was sent this message below to work this morning, please be charitable and sign up to help try and change the Government decision, if possible!! Hope the link works, if not, could you help out please Matt Moo? Just checked link, seems to be working at present!!

 

Thanks for your time.

Al

 

LIFEBOAT crews fear being scuppered by crippling new charges for using their radios from Ofcom, the communications regulator. The RNLI could see the price of using its VHF emergency frequencies rise to £250,000 under plans to charge the full commercial rate.

 

The charity, which saves hundreds of lives every year currently pays an annual £48,000 at a discounted rate of 50 per cent. It relies on donations and fears the move will have a disastrous impact on fundraising. Peter Bradley, RNLI operations staff officer, said: 'It's a lot of money when you think in terms of lifeboat days and little old ladies collecting pound coins.'

 

'We could buy several inshore lifeboats for the same amount.'

 

'The Government rely on us to provide this search-and-rescue service, at a cost of £124 million a year, but they want to charge us for doing it!'

 

Ofcom has set out plans to bring 'market forces' into maritime and civil aviation communications in a policy it calls Administered Incentive Pricing.

 

£250,000 represents an awful lot of charity collections, even more so in the current economic climate so, if like me you feel strongly enough about this, please sign the petition below.

 

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences/

 

Please forward to anyone and everyone you think might help by signing the petition.

[miikae]

Yet another disgraceful penny pinching proposal that should have been funded totally for the last 100+ years by Governments,

 

Duly signed ,

 

Job Done .

 

Mike

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Done

 

Rob dogs

 

Bring back Guy Fawkes

 

[stevedohc2b]

Done

 

Rob dogs

 

Bring back Guy Fawkes

 

I like it Ian Bring back Guy Fawkes very good to day

 

 

signed as well

 

Stephen

[Guest jhfozzy]

Petition duly signed.

 

I don't understand their thinking.... At school, I passed my amateur radio novice licence. To keep this going (I use it occasionally) I had to pay £21 a year to OFCOM. I was happy paying this to keep my licence active. Two or maybe three years ago, I got a letter saying that due to new licencing rules I didn't need to pay anymore.

 

Anyhow, there must be more than 10,000 ham radio enthusiasts in the country, each paying £21 would be £210,000, more than enough for the lifeboat services bill.

 

They just decided that we didn't have to pay anymore, surely an essential rescue service must be more deserving than us ham radio guys.

 

The world is going mad.

 

John.

Edited November 5, 2008 by Fozzy

[Guest a8dyc]

Iv'e signed.

 

Some things just never make sense.Whats up with these people.

 

Andy

[Guest MartinP]

Signed up.

 

Not particularly fond of the open sea for leisure pusuits, but a willing bunch of skilled, well equipped amateurs would be welcome in the event that one of my occasional forays to foriegn shores came a cropper. :rolleyes:

 

Martin

[fry61]

Another stupid idea; but it makes more money for the gov/bandits; signed even though my sailing days are probably passed.

[Guest salty_monk]

This could be a mistake... a few of these petition emails are.

 

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/features/rnliradio?lang=cy

 

Dan

[Al Milton]

This could be a mistake... a few of these petition emails are.

 

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/features/rnliradio?lang=cy

 

Hi Dan / All,

 

Not a mistake, just a late message, see link http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/press_ce...rticleid=383984

 

This link includes the quote above, thanks for the warning though about these scam type nessages

 

Thanks to all who have signed so far

 

Al

[NeilD]

It is indeed a bizarre country where we have voluntary emergency services then charge them to operate

 

Petition duly signed

[Guest SWANAGE DAVE]

Our benevolent Government seem intent on bleeding more cash. I was sent this message below to work this morning, please be charitable and sign up to help try and change the Government decision, if possible!! Hope the link works, if not, could you help out please Matt Moo? Just checked link, seems to be working at present!!

 

Thanks for your time.

Al

 

LIFEBOAT crews fear being scuppered by crippling new charges for using their radios from Ofcom, the communications regulator. The RNLI could see the price of using its VHF emergency frequencies rise to £250,000 under plans to charge the full commercial rate.

 

The charity, which saves hundreds of lives every year currently pays an annual £48,000 at a discounted rate of 50 per cent. It relies on donations and fears the move will have a disastrous impact on fundraising. Peter Bradley, RNLI operations staff officer, said: 'It's a lot of money when you think in terms of lifeboat days and little old ladies collecting pound coins.'

 

'We could buy several inshore lifeboats for the same amount.'

 

'The Government rely on us to provide this search-and-rescue service, at a cost of £124 million a year, but they want to charge us for doing it!'

 

Ofcom has set out plans to bring 'market forces' into maritime and civil aviation communications in a policy it calls Administered Incentive Pricing.

 

£250,000 represents an awful lot of charity collections, even more so in the current economic climate so, if like me you feel strongly enough about this, please sign the petition below.

 

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences/

 

Please forward to anyone and everyone you think might help by signing the petition.

 

 

As a Coastguard here in Swanage i fully back you and the lifeboat mate, already signed the petition,,good luck

[Guest Jabberwocky]

I may have missed something here. apart from when training, why can the RNLI use the emergency distress frequencies? As I would imagine they have to talk to SAR helicopters who are going to be using V/UHF transievers? so why can 243 and 121.5 not be used?

 

I understand for training they might not be the best to be used.

[Guest Jabberwocky]

To answer my own question. If everyone is using distress frequencies. would cause problems with Direction Finding and Auto Triang

[Guest Bob's Babe]

Signed

 

SUE