CR16 Response Accepted

Mass rescue operation plan

Recommendation

HM Coastguard should develop a mass rescue operation plan that includes command and control, co-ordination, external stakeholders, medical and law enforcement roles, and public and external affairs.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
Government response: Accepted. No public evidence of delivery has been found.
Sources
Government response (2026-07-16): Accepted Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cranston-inquiry-interim-response Text: HMCG refreshed its Mass Rescue Operations Plan in April 2026 (introduced in 2017 and previously amended in 2018 and 2021). It has been updated to ensure continued alignment with IAMSAR and internationally recognised documents such as the IMO COMSAR/Circ.31 - Guidance for Mass Rescue Operations (MROs Government response (2026-07-16): Accepted Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cranston-inquiry-interim-response Text: Recommendation 16: HM Coastguard should develop a mass rescue operation plan that includes command and control, co-ordination, external stakeholders, medical and law enforcement roles, and public and external affairs. HMCG refreshed its Mass Rescue Operations Plan in April 2026 (introduced in 2017 a
How was this evidence gathered?
Evidence searched by baseline-data-v1 on 12 Sep 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Response
Accepted
Accepted HM Coastguard Initial Response
16 Jul 2026

HMCG refreshed its Mass Rescue Operations Plan in April 2026 (introduced in 2017 and previously amended in 2018 and 2021). It has been updated to ensure continued alignment with IAMSAR and internationally recognised documents such as the IMO COMSAR/Circ.31 - Guidance for Mass Rescue Operations (MROs) and to reflect the newly published International Mass Rescue Federation’s Mass Rescue Operations Guidance. The plan covers all aspects of a HMCG-coordinated mass-rescue response, including incident command and stakeholder roles. The plan, together with relevant procedures and documents, is routinely reviewed after each training exercise.

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Accepted Department for Transport Follow-up
16 Jul 2026

Recommendation 16: HM Coastguard should develop a mass rescue operation plan that includes command and control, co-ordination, external stakeholders, medical and law enforcement roles, and public and external affairs. HMCG refreshed its Mass Rescue Operations Plan in April 2026 (introduced in 2017 and previously amended in 2018 and 2021). It has been updated to ensure continued alignment with IAMSAR and internationally recognised documents such as the IMO COMSAR/Circ.31 - Guidance for Mass Rescue Operations (MROs) and to reflect the newly published International Mass Rescue Federation’s Mass Rescue Operations Guidance. The plan covers all aspects of a HMCG-coordinated mass-rescue response, including incident command and stakeholder roles. The plan, together with relevant procedures and documents, is routinely reviewed after each training exercise.

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Source
Report The Cranston Inquiry Report 05 Feb 2026
Responsible Bodies
HM Coastguard Primary
Recommendation age 0.6 yr
Last formal update 16 Jul 2026