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Some British rescue teams have returned home from Japan because the British embassy won't give them an official letter that would allow them to access emergency fuel supplies for their vehicles. These are official teams from established charities.
And the reason given; if the teams got into difficulties the embassy would be responsible for them because of the letter.
Elf & Safety...
Would the embassy not be responsible for them no matter what?
Nope as the are not a governement sent team
Nope as the are not a governement sent team
...as they are still British citizens would the embassy not have a responsibility to do something should they get themselves into trouble over there?
British citizens go all over the world and the embassy´s are there to help them no?
confused.com:confused:
If nothing else is this not a big error on the charities half, they have paid through the charity funds to get help there and now have to pay to get them home because they hadnt forseen that they would need a letter in the first place to access the emergency fuel.
Surely a phone call to the embassy in the first place would have told them if they could obtain that letter once they were over there.??
Luckypants
16-03-11, 02:28 PM
British citizens go all over the world and the embassy´s are there to help them no?
Help - yes, be responsible for them - no. Embassies will provide guidance when in trouble, maybe help with communicating with back home etc, but not take responsibility for you, such as debts etc.
If nothing else is this not a big error on the charities half, they have paid through the charity funds to get help there and now have to pay to get them home because they hadnt forseen that they would need a letter in the first place to access the emergency fuel.
Surely a phone call to the embassy in the first place would have told them if they could obtain that letter once they were over there.??
Indeed it is but IME these groups are enthusiastic amateurs who often go off at half **** in their eagerness to help. If they were not invited by the Japanese government or sent by the UK government (at Japan's request) did they really think they could just turn up and 'get stuck in' without sanction and help from the authorities?
MiniMatt
16-03-11, 05:34 PM
Indeed it is but IME these groups are enthusiastic amateurs who often go off at half **** in their eagerness to help. If they were not invited by the Japanese government or sent by the UK government (at Japan's request) did they really think they could just turn up and 'get stuck in' without sanction and help from the authorities?
This really. Emergency fuel supplies are just that, so it's kind of natural that at a time when the country has very limited fuel supplies and rather fubarred transport infrastructure the locals are going to want to ensure that they get exactly what help they need and where they need it.
Otherwise they get folks, as well intentioned as they may be, getting in the way because they've got enough of a particular skill set (and the ones they have in place already have plans in place / speak japenese etc) all the while taking valuable fuel supplies from more effective groups already in place. No doubt the Japanese government will be liasing with various embassies to ensure they get exactly the specialists they need where they need them.
The Japanese embassy in London & the Japanese govt in Tokyo had both approved the rescue team from IRC.
IRC have a long and successful record of providing support during emergencies. Well intentioned amatuers... they've got a hell of a cv for for well intentioned amatuers. They have the eqpt, the people(all of which have to pass a 3 year course in search and rescue) and the experience.
They are offically registered and recognised by the UN.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Rescue_Corps
Bluefish
16-03-11, 07:02 PM
so they just ****ed up the paperwork then?
MiniMatt
16-03-11, 07:36 PM
There seems to be a few sides to this, and at the risk of appearing some sort of Tory sympathiser I'm leaning to give some weight to the UK government's side on this one:
"Although the Japanese government said there was no need for more search and rescuers, they agreed IRC could provide a needs assessment team.
They gave the organisation permission to go into the country to provide that capability." - http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/cumbrian-rescuer-forced-out-of-japan-by-british-red-tape-1.818227?referrerPath=home
So potentially "we don't need any more search and rescue but you can come if you like". Potentially followed by "umm, you want our emergency fuel supplies?"
Foreign Secretaries, even Tory ones, tend to be very careful when giving factual information rather than just hyperbole that their facts are correct. Not always, but they know a press hanging follows swiftly if you outright lie:
The Foreign Office said: "We sent a letter of support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs early on the morning of 16 March at the request of the Japanese. Our staff followed this up with phone calls to the foreign ministry.
"It is not true that the IRC team's effort was delayed by British red tape."
Foreign Secretary William Hague told MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee it was "convenient to blame embassies for difficulties which have arisen in other ways".
He said the team did not have logistical, transport or language support and the Japanese government had made it clear they could not supply it. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12756366
The IRC naturally has another side:
"We have been doing this for a long time. We had permission from the country, we had a translator, we had sourced vehicles, we are completely self-sufficient. We had registered with the UN. All we needed was a piece of A4 paper to continue, and we couldn't get it," he said.
Definitely more to it than first appears and personally I'm not inclined to jump straight to the "bungling bureaucrats bodge plucky brit's rescue attempts" angle.
There is without a doubt several sides to the story... but I'm not inclined to believe William Hague of the "yes the plane has left Heathrow for Tripoli" variety of politician.
A fundimental part of IRC's logistics is they will be self sufficient for 15 days.
So the Japs had said ok.
And IRC were loaded and ready to go and ....
There is without a doubt several sides to the story... but I'm not inclined to believe William Hague of the "yes the plane has left Heathrow for Tripoli" variety of politician.
A fundimental part of IRC's logistics is they will be self sufficient for 15 days.
So the Japs had said ok.
And IRC were loaded and ready to go and ....
This
I know a couple of people from near me who work with the IRC.
It is ridiculous that they haven't been able to get the piece of paper they need, thats all it is, they are self sufficient when they are in any disaster zone.
Luckypants
17-03-11, 02:06 PM
I would just like to point out my comments were not aimed at IRC particularly and that they were made from my own experience of such groups.
It seems more details of why IRC could not function are coming to light, so I'll hold my peace for now.
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