Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the future funding arrangements for the British Transport Police in the context of rail nationalisation; and whether responsibility for its funding will transfer to central Government.

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set annually by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA), following proposals from the Force and views from industry. BTP's costs are passed on to individual Train Operating Companies, Network Rail, and all other bodies who provide railway services. This is set out in the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.

We are not planning any changes to this primary legislation and so the cost of BTP will continue to be passed on to the rail industry.