Willie Rennie presses Chancellor on future of Fife rescue service

5.21.27pm GMT Mon 30th Jan 2006

Liberal Democrat by-election candidate Willie Rennie is pressing Chancellor Gordon Brown for a guarantee of funding to ensure the long-term future of a Fife-based emergency rescue service.

Scotland's Mines Rescue Service, located in Crossgates, is in a period of transition as it moves away from depending on subsidies from pit operators to become fully self-funding within a matter of years.

However, the service has warned its future may be in doubt if short term bridging support from the UK government to help ease this transition is not provided.

Willie Rennie has now written to Chancellor Gordon Brown seeking a pledge of support for the Fife based team.

Speaking following a visit to the Mines Rescue Service, Willie Rennie said:

"Despite the decline of the coal mining industry, there is ongoing - and growing - demand for the services provided by the mines rescue team.

"It is clear that their knowledge and expertise is unique and the team's skills are every bit as specialised as those of the other emergency services.

"Across the country mines rescue teams have played a vital role in emergency search and rescue operations including those following the Stockline Plastics tragedy in Glasgow and the terrorist bombings in London last July.

"The loss of this service and these lifesaving skills is unthinkable, particularly since a relatively small level of one-off support is all that is needed to ensure its future.

"Chancellor Gordon Brown could easily remove the doubt with a pledge of funding to help ease the way to self-sufficiency.

"The Mines Rescue Service has a special place in the history and heritage of Fife and I think local people will be appalled if Tony Blair's Labour government do not take action to secure this service."