Hampshire County Council has revealed it was prepared to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and help keep roads open if small boats had landed on Hampshire’s coast.

The authority said it did not provide direct support to the RNLI or its volunteers during recent small boat incidents, as the charity is independent and responsible for its own operations.

The incidents involved migrants crossing the Channel who were intercepted in waters off Hampshire and brought ashore in the county.

They prompted political debate over the RNLI’s role in rescue operations.

However, the council said it had worked with partner organisations on emergency planning in case a landing took place in Hampshire.

The planning was carried out through the Hampshire and Isle of Wight local resilience forum, which brings together emergency services and public bodies to prepare for major incidents.

In a written response, the council said its role would have focused on areas where it has statutory responsibilities.

These included maintaining the safety and operation of the highway network, supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children through children’s services if required, and ensuring coroner services were prepared in the event of fatalities.

It added that none of those services needed to be activated during the recent incidents.

Hampshire County Council said: “As events transpired, the county council was not required to exercise any of its statutory response functions in relation to these incidents.

“Our involvement was limited to planning and coordination through established resilience arrangements, and no direct operational action by the county council was ultimately required.”

The information was provided in response to a question submitted by Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Keith House at full council on October 1.

Cllr House questioned what support the county council had provided to the RNLI and its volunteers “in light of recent events along the county’s southern coast”.

In a statement accompanying the question, he said: “The RNLI make our coastline and waters safer by being there to save lives. They are true heroes.

“The Liberal Democrats at Hampshire fully support their brave efforts saving lives without fear or favour. It is right that we call out Reform. We stand with the RNLI.”

The comment follows criticism of the RNLI from Reform UK figures over the charity’s involvement in rescuing migrants crossing the Channel.

Reform UK was approached for comment but had not responded by the time of publication.