Search and Rescue disgrace

[Staunton]

The coalition government has today announced a £1.6 billion, (that's £1,600,000,000) deal with the US based Bristow Group, who will take over UK search and rescue operations from the RAF and the Royal Navy in 2015.

 

The Bristow Group are known tax avoiders and have a history of illegal operating techniques including engagement in bribery and corruption.

 

For example, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission found that the company made improper payments to Nigerian state government officials in order to secure a reduction of their tax bill, violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

 

We are beginning to see a clear pattern emerging across the UK as lucrative business and service contracts go to multinational tax avoiders rather than to British enterprise.

[maxmaximus]

Bristow will replace ageing RAF and Royal Navy Sea King helicopters with modern Sikorsky S-92s and AgustaWestland 189s.

 

Under the new contract, 22 helicopters will operate from 10 locations around the UK.

 

Ten S-92s will be based, two per site, at Stornoway and Sumburgh, and at new bases at Newquay, Caernarfon and Humberside airports.

 

Ten AW189s will operate, two per site, from Lee-on-the-Solent and a new hangar at Prestwick airport, and new bases which will be established at St Athan, Inverness and Manston airports.

 

All bases will be operational 24 hours a day, and half of the new fleet will be built in Yeovil, Somerset.

 

Bristow Helicopters is an Aberdeen-based company, although the corporate headquarters of the Bristow Group is in Texas.

 

With 24 years of experience providing search and rescue helicopter services in the UK, the public can have great confidence in Bristow and their ability to deliver a first class service with state-of-the-art helicopters.

 

The government says the new deal means helicopters "will be able reach a larger area of the UK search and rescue region within one hour of take off than is currently possible".

 

It also estimates, based on historic data, that there will be an overall improvement in flying times to incidents of around 20% - from 23 to 19 minutes.

[Staunton]

maxmaximus gives us a great deal of interesting technical information. Many thanks for that.

 

However, my theme is corporate corruption and tax avoidance. Bristow and their friends in the coalition government are engaging in the transfer of public money (that is - the taxes that we ordinary people pay) into the hands of a corporate sector tax avoider, who will put profit before service and escape their obligations to our treasury.

 

 

Meanwhile, AgustaWestland, the world’s second largest helicopter maker owned by Italy's Finmeccanica and cited by maxmaximus above, is currently fighting bribery and tax evasion allegations in India relating to a a $753 million helicopter deal.

 

How interesting.

 

---------- Post added 27-03-2013 at 11:37 ----------

 

Oh what a relief, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Flight Lieutenant of RAF Valley Search and Rescue Force, based in Anglesey, is to be transferred to other operations long before the privatisation of the service. Sadly, things don't look too comforting for the rest of the squadron, who face a very uncertain future.

 

Remarkably, the Duke is understood to have raised concern over possible privatisation of the flight with Mr Cameron when they met in Zurich, during England's 2018 World Cup bid.