Ministers have U-turned on plans to strip volunteer coastguard officers of their hourly pay after intense criticism of the plan.
The announcement, made by the maritime minister in parliament on Thursday, was described as a huge win for coastguards, many of whom had said they would reduce their hours or leave the service altogether if the government had pushed ahead. It has raised questions over the position of Virginia McVea, the head of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
