Dear Anthony,

Thank you for your offer of help during the Westminster Hall debate on the 200^th anniversary of the RNLI on March 26^th. As discussed, I have written to set out some background on the issue of river safety. I hope this is helpful and I’d like to thank you again for asking officials and the Coast Guard for their help with this issue.

As I mentioned in the debate, there are a number of incidents every year in my constituency where people get into difficulty in local rivers, both in the River Thames and its tributaries.

The Thames and other rivers in Berkshire are widely used for boating, swimming and other activities and tow paths and bridges offer access to the countryside for walkers and cyclists.

However, incidents can happen close to where experienced people are working, as there are a number of boat yards, ferries, rowing and canoe clubs along the river.

In one recent case, a boat owner rescued someone from the Thames shortly after the person fell into the river;- luckily the boat owner was able to respond immediately as their mooring was about 100 yards downstream from where the incident took place. The owner was later awarded a medal by Thames Valley Police.

After speaking to this constituent, I wondered if a wider alert system for trained volunteers could play a vital role in saving lives and supporting the emergency services. In Reading alone this could allow dozens of boat owners to be alerted immediately if someone fell into the Thames or Kennet.

Your officials made a few initial suggestions, including contacting the local Police, as the rescue authority, and the National Independent Lifeboat Association, and I wondered if you could look into this issue and advise me on how to take this forward.

Thank you for your help with this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Matt Rodda, MP for Reading East