Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the funding uplift necessary to restore the number of British Transport Police police officers to 2009/10 levels.

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

For the FY25/26, a budget increase of 5.9% was agreed. The British Transport Police Authority will set the Force’s budget for 2026/27 this month.

Like other police forces the BTP has operational independence, so it is for the BTP Chief Constable and Chief Officers to use a variety of data to inform the deployment of officers and other resources, following the agreement of the budget.

The Department has no role in determining the optimal numbers of BTP officers to meet their strategic plans as agreed with the BTPA.