Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to policy paper entitled Great British Railways: Williams-Shapps plan for rail, published by his Department on 20 May 2021, what plans the his Department has for the funding for the how the British Transport Police; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of changes to the funding model for the railway on the British Transport Police.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Government is setting up a Rail Transformation Programme within the Department for Transport and working with the rail sector to ensure a common understanding of the vision, establish the phases of delivery, and work collectively with the sector to design and implement this major project.
Following the publications of the White Paper, we are commencing detailed engagement and consultation across the industry, including with organisations such as British Transport Police.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes he plans to make to the British Transport Police budget as a result of his recent announcement of the end to rail franchising.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The British Transport Police’s budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority. Those operators required to use the BTP will continue to pay for policing with those subject to the new Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMA) or those under Directly Operated Railways (DOR) control continuing to be charged as now.
Asked by: Greg Hands (Conservative - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what has been Transport for London's budget for the British Transport Police (a) each year since 2015 and (b) what that budget proposal is for (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21 and (iii) 2021-22.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Transport for London’s budget for the British Transport Police is a matter for the Mayor of London to determine and the Department does not hold this data.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the British Transport Police are able to access additional funding to pay for a portion of the costs of policing transport for big events such as football matches, when local police services are able to claim such funding.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The British Transport Police (BTP) is funded by a specific funding regime distinct from those of local police services. Under this model, the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) sets the BTP’s core policing budget, which is then charged to rail operators through Police Service Agreements. The cost of policing large events such as football matches is covered by core funding.
Further funding may be provided through enhanced policing agreements between the BTPA and train operators, including from Transport for London for policing of the London Underground.
Asked by: Thelma Walker (Labour - Colne Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of funding the British Transport Police has received to tackle anti-social behaviour on (a) trains and (b) trains stations in (i) West Yorkshire and (ii) England.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As the British Transport Police (BTP) receives its funding from individual train operators it is not possible to provide the information requested. However, BTP’s C division, which covers West Yorkshire, has a specific commitment in its policing plan to prevent anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s target is for efficiency savings by British Transport Police; and how he intends to allocate proceeds from that efficiency programme.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The British Transport Police Authority identified savings of over 8% to be made during the period of the Spending Review from the British Transport Police’s core budgets. Any efficiency savings can potentially be reinvested into counter terrorist activities, depending on the need identified by the Chief Constable, and subject to the approval of the British Transport Police Authority.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Transport for London will pay to the British Transport Police's budget in 2016-17.
Answered by Claire Perry
The British Transport Police (BTP) Authority has approved a budget for 2016-17 which includes an amount of £66.933 million in respect of the Transport for London (TFL) Police Service Agreement and overhead charges. The figure excludes any additional policing services which are provided by the BTP at TfL’s request on a commercial basis.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27209, on British Transport Police: finance, what assessment he has made of the operational implications of the planned reduction in the British Transport Police budget in 2016-17.
Answered by Claire Perry
Setting the budget of the British Transport Police (BTP) is a matter for the British Transport Police Authority. However, during the course of discussions on the spending review, the Department made clear to the BTP that it considered that any efficiencies that could be achieved should not materially impact on the operational policing capability of the BTP. I also understand that the reduction in the BTP’s budget in 2016-17 relates to the non-core policing budget, which is policing provided by the BTP at railway operators’ request on a commercial contract basis, rather than the core police budget which is set by the Authority.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2016 to Question 24236, whether Transport for London's financial contribution to the British Transport Police budget for 2016-17 has been confirmed.
Answered by Claire Perry
Transport for London’s financial contribution to the British Transport Police budget for 2016-17 has not yet been confirmed. Discussions will continue throughout March.
Asked by: Paula Sherriff (Labour - Dewsbury)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answers of 9 February 2016 to Question 25766 and 11 January 2016 to Question 20570 on British Transport Police: finance, if he will provide a breakdown of the budget by areas of expenditure for (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17.
Answered by Claire Perry
The following table provides a breakdown of the British Transport Police’s budget, by areas of expenditure, in 2015-16 and 2016-17:
| 2015/16 | 2016/17 |
| £000s | £000s |
Staff Costs: |
|
|
Police Officer Pay + overtime | 165,969 | 165,451 |
PCSO Pay + overtime | 10,560 | 11,014 |
Police Staff Pay + overtime | 60,572 | 60,905 |
|
|
|
Total Staff Costs | 237,101 | 237,370 |
|
|
|
Non Staff Costs: |
|
|
Premises | 18,763 | 17,481 |
Communications & Computers | 11,939 | 11,394 |
Transport | 2,989 | 2,465 |
Travel & Hotels | 1,892 | 1,845 |
Supplies & Services | 14,021 | 12,105 |
Capital Charges | 9,364 | 10,475 |
|
|
|
Total Non Staff Costs | 58,968 | 55,765 |
|
|
|
BTP Authority Budget | 2,009 | 2,009 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditure | 298,078 | 295,144 |