Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of a decrease in funding on the operational capacity of the British Transport Police in the East Midlands.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) has agreed a three-year budget settlement for BTP which will see BTP’s budget increase from £418.5m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29. This will enable the Force to employ over 200 new officers by the end of 2027/28. The Department has therefore made no assessment of the impact of a decrease in funding.

BTP’s budget is set independently of the Department for Transport, by the BTPA following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators. Part of their decision-making includes ensuring BTP can provide our railways with efficient and effective policing. The Department for Transport has no statutory powers to intervene in these decisions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the British Transport Police on response times to incidents in Leicester and surrounding areas.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Ministers at the Department for Transport regularly meet with the British Transport Police (BTP) to discuss the work the force are doing to ensure the railway remains a safe environment.

The Chief Constable of the BTP has operational independence over the deployment of their resources across the network. BTP response times are dependent on the severity of the incident.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the levels of delays caused by current emergency call protocols requiring transport staff to contact the British Transport Police before 999 services.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There is no requirement for railway staff to contact the British Transport Police before dialling 999 in an emergency.

In emergency situations, staff should dial 999 immediately to secure the fastest available response.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of safety levels at Leicester railway station.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not made an assessment of safety levels at Leicester station. The body that monitors and enforces compliance with health and safety legislation on Britain’s rail network, including at stations, is the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) Amulet and (b) other private security contractors in railway stations.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No system-wide assessment has been made of the effectiveness of either Amulet or other private security contractors working in railway stations.

DfT works closely with the rail industry and British Transport Police, who are responsible for ensuring a safe and secure railway. Where individual security contractors are engaged to support that work, it is for the individual rail operators to manage their performance and ensure their effectiveness.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms are in place for transport staff to report safety concerns anonymously without fear of disciplinary action.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are several mechanisms that transport staff can use to report safety concerns anonymously without fear of disciplinary action. These include the Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) managed by the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the Office of Rail and Road’s whistleblowing service, and Network Rail’s 24/7 confidential reporting service, ‘Speak Out’.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight mechanism exists to ensure that (a) East Midlands Railway and (b) other rail operators respond adequately to repeated safety concerns raised by staff.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As an employer it is the responsibility of East Midlands Railway, and other operators, to ensure the safety of employees and compliance with all relevant health and safety legislation and regulations. The body that monitors and enforces compliance with health and safety legislation on Britain’s rail network, including at stations, is the Office of Rail and Road.

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