NORTH Cornwall’s MP has described the government's decision to halt plans to scrap hourly callout payments for Coastguard Rescue Officers as ‘a very welcome U-turn’.

Following the news that volunteer coastguards, including those serving communities across Cornwall, will continue receiving payments for training, call-outs and maintenance work beyond September, Ben Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, has said the decision represents Cornish voices being listened to.

Commenting, Mr Maguire said: “This is a very welcome U-turn. Our Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) in North Cornwall carry out an incredible job, often in dangerous conditions and at a moment's notice, helping to keep people safe.”

CROs are officially volunteers but can currently claim around £11 an hour for call-outs, training and maintenance work. A minimum payment of £33, equivalent to three hours, can be claimed even if an incident is resolved sooner.

The planned changes followed a Court of Appeal ruling in January 2026 in the case of Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) versus Groom, which found that providing payments had created a worker relationship rather than a voluntary arrangement.

Mr Maguire continued: “I repeatedly raised this issue in Parliament because I was deeply concerned about the severe impact these changes could have on coastal areas. I'm pleased the government has now finally listened to us, and stepped back from implementing these proposals in September.”

However, despite the ‘U-turn’ the MP has suggested that the work doesn’t end here to ‘develop a fair, sustainable outcome’.

He said: “This must now be used as an opportunity to closely work with Coastguard Rescue Officers to develop a fair, sustainable outcome that properly recognises the vital role they play in protecting lives, and of course a huge thanks must go out to the Coastguard volunteers themselves.”