MINISTER for Transport Mike Penning has defended plans to axe Portland Coastguard.

The minister responsible for the service has spoken exclusively to the Dorset Echo about the plans which he claims will ‘bring the coastguard into the 21st century’.

Mr Penning spoke of his desire to create a ‘modern and resilient coastguard service’ ahead of a public meeting at All Saints School on March 8 at 7.30pm.

At the meeting people will be asked for their views on plans that could see Portland Coastguard Station, based on Weymouth’s harbourside, closed.

Mr Penning is MP for Hemel Hempstead and as under-secretary of state for transport he is responsible for the coastguard.

He used to work as a firefighter and said that he has enjoyed many trips to Dorset including diving in Lulworth Cove and walking at Durdle Door so is aware of the work carried out by Portland Coastguard.

He said: “This consultation is about bringing the coastguard into the 21st century. Portland Coastguard station is part of that.

“It will have no effect on emergency rescue services in the area such as the RNLI and coastguard rescue teams.

“The modernisation of the coastguard will encourage the rescue teams and give them more training, more money and more full-time staff to support them, which will be great.”

Mr Penning was against the centralisation of the fire service and has been criticised for his alternate stance on the coastguard.

He said that the two issues were ‘completely different’ and that to compare them was a ‘red herring’.

He said: “They are not similar. There are some people in the coastguard who do not understand the difference.

“When I started with the fire service they each had a rescue centre and they moved to divisional, then central centres.

“At the time I had real concerns about it but the coastguard is different.

“The coastguard is not a 21st century organisation when it comes to resilience and IT and coastguards know it.”

Mr Penning added: “This consultation has been on the table for years and it has been put off and put off. Ministers have looked at it and bottled it because it’s an emotive subject.

“There needs to be a proper debate, not a red herring going around.”

One of the arguments put forward against the closure of Portland Coastguard is that local knowledge and understanding of the area would be lost.

Mr Penning said that it was not true as rescue teams like the search and rescue helicopter and RNLI lifeboat would still have those local skills.

He said: “People who say that really don’t understand how other emergency services work. In some parts of the country there are tri-service centres.

“What we are doing is the opposite of that.”

He added: “I understand where people’s concerns are but you can’t hold knowledge in one area as you won’t have the resilience.”

There will be a debate in parliament on Thursday, March 10 where the future of the coastguard will be discussed.

A parliamentary select committee is currently investigating the plans.