Sir,

Most people are unlikely ever to have come across a non-Government body called Ofcom. However, Ofcom was set up to run and administer the radio spectrum in the UK, on behalf of the Government; they were also tasked with maximising the income for the radio spectrum, which all in all they have done very well, especially on the side of raising money. However, the latest plan to increase the charges they make to the RNLI for the use of their maritime radio is a step too far.

Ofcom are planning to put up the annual fee of £48,000 at a discounted rate of 50 per cent to £250,000 just to use the air waves. The RNLI is a voluntary service that saves hundreds of lives every year. Not only that, but they raise every penny they spend, and this is a kick in the face to all those ladies and gentleman who spend their spare time collecting funds for the RNLI.

I believe that the RNLI spends over £125 million a year on the rescue service, and I am in no doubt that if the Government was asked to fund the service, we would end up with a second class service, not the first class service we have today.

Ofcom says that the increase is down to 'market forces', which I do not understand. The RNLI mainly use the VHF maritime band; this frequency is laid down by international telecommunications law, so can not be sold or used for any purpose other than maritime communication. In fact, channel 0, which is used by the RNLI, can only be used by the emergency services, e.g. lifeboat, coastguard and air sea rescue; you can be heavily fined or even jailed for causing interference on this frequency.

Like the Amateur Radio licence, the VHF maritime licence is free to anyone who has passed the right exams. This means that if a crew member who has passed the VHF maritime licence takes their VHF maritime hand-held radio on board, he/she can talk to the same people (coastguards) on the same frequency as the lifeboat, free of any charge, while the radio on board the boat counts as commercial use.

I ask you, when did life-saving become a commercial business? The next thing they will be doing is charging us for giving blood.

Please note that there is a petition against this increase on the number 10 website which I urge you all to sign at http://petitions.number">http://petitions.number 10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences. You can also find a link to this site on the Cleddau Amateur Radio Society website at http://www.cleddau-ars.or.uk">www.cleddau-ars.or.uk

John Rees GWOJRF,

Chairman,

Cleddau Amateur Radio Society,

Caerleon,

Picton Road,

Tenby.