Clegg defends governments reaction to emergency

Ministers were immediately despatched to speak to the search and rescue authorities in the United States so there was absolutely no doubt at all in the minds of the decision-makers on the other side of the Atlantic what this Government felt on behalf of the families who, quite rightly, are in a state of terrible anguish.

We did, I think, what people rightly would expect of the Government.

I'm told the British search and rescue specialists feel that Americans did what one would expect of the search and rescue services in that situation across such a vast area in very difficult weather conditions.