The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.
This involves coordinating search and rescue (SAR) at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG), ensuring that ships meet international and UK safety standards, monitoring and preventing coastal water pollution and testing and issuing Merchant Navy Certificates of Competency (licenses) for ships' officers and crew to STCW requirements. The organisation is led by Sir Alan Massey, its Chief Executive, who took up post in July 2010.^[1]

The MCA has three distinct "outward facing" elements - provision of search and rescue and prevention activity through Her Majesty's Coastguard, port and flag state control of shipping through a network of Marine Offices and the development of international standards and policy for shipping through the International Maritime Organisation.

The MCA has now established an Automatic Identification System (AIS) network around the UK coast, for real-time tracking and monitoring of shipping movements from the shore.

Its motto is "Safer Lives, Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas".

See also[link]

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution
• Her Majesty's Coastguard
• Code of safe working practices
• British Merchant Navy
• Merchant Navy

External links[link]

• Maritime and Coastguard Agency official site

References[link]

1. ^ Organisation Chart [1], Department for Transport. Retrieved on 2010-08-11.

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Sir Robert Kerslake (born 1955), is the Head of the Home Civil Service, after the retirement of the former holder, the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell; Sir Bob also continues to be Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government.^[1]

Career[link]

Originally from Bath, he graduated in Mathematics from the University of Warwick, where he was also secretary of the students' union, later qualifying as a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and holding a number of posts with councils in London before becoming Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hounslow. He moved to Sheffield to take up the post of Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council in 1997. He was chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency from 2008 to 2010, and in September 2010 was appointed Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government.^{[original research?]}

Recognition[link]

• In 2003 Kerslake was named in a Guardian list of the 100 most influential people in the public sector.^[2]
• In 2004 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Sheffield Hallam University for his "distinctive contribution to public service".^[3]
• In 2004 he received a knighthood for services to local government.^[4]

References[link]

v t e Heads of the Home Civil Service Sir Warren Fisher · Sir Horace Wilson · Sir Edward Bridges · Sir William Armstrong · Sir Douglas Allen · Sir Robert Armstrong · Sir Robin Butler · Sir Richard Wilson · Sir Andrew Turnbull · Sir Gus O'Donnell · Sir Bob Kerslake* *Unlike the previous Heads, Sir Bob Kerslake is not Cabinet Secretary, he is only Head of the Home Civil Service

External links[link]

• Kerslake's blog as Head of Civil Service
• Boom or Bust: The way forward & challenges facing the HCA featuring Sir Bob Kerslake Chief executive of Homes and Communications agency (video)
• 'Leading the civil service' Ethos, March 2012