NDP MP Jack Harris is welcoming a parliamentary committee's review of search and rescue response times. (CBC)

The decision of a parliamentary committee to review how well the Canadian Forces responds to search and rescue calls is a good move, St. John's East MP Jack Harris says.

"This is a major breakthrough," Harris, the New Democratic Party's defence critic, said in a statement.

The House of Commons standing committee on national defence has committed to a review of search and rescue times across the country.

The issue has particular poignancy in Newfoundland and Labrador, in light of the Cougar helicopter crash in March 2009. On that day, search and rescue crews were training in Cape Breton, delaying their ability to reach the crash scene, southeast of St. John's.

The crash killed 17 of the 18 people who had been aboard. Apart from the crew of two, the passengers worked at offshore oil platforms.

There has also been criticism of how the Canadian Forces are staffed for SAR responses on weekends and at nights.

"Finally we will have an opportunity to conduct a detailed study of the issue, call witnesses and undertake research as to the approach of other countries," Harris said.

The Canadian government has to date refused to consider installing a dedicated SAR presence in St. John's, with a particular focus on the offshore oil platforms, where crews rely on helicopters for transport. Instead, Cougar Helicopters is contracted to provide these services.

The issue has been a continuing theme at an inquiry into offshore helicopter safety that is underway in St. John's. Commissioner Robert Wells, a retired judge, has already recommended that St. John's-based helicopters should be ready to respond in less than 20 minutes. The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, which regulates the industry, has accepted Wells's recommendation.