Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many assaults were committed against members of the staff of the British Railways Board and London Transport during the last three years.
§ Mr. FowlerBritish Transport polite figures show the following:
1977 1978 1979 London Transport Staff 1,195 1,219 1,538 British Railways Staff 236 254 289 The figures for 1980 are not yet available, but are not expected to differ greatly from those in the previous year.
The steps I announced recently as part of a package to combat violence on public transport are designed to reduce these figures.
98WI have agreed with the leader of the Greater London Council, who has the overall responsibility for London Transport, that there should be an immediate start to recruiting more police with the aim of doubling their existing force. In addition London Transport is to make a start on a programme of capital works, such as the installation of train radios and closed circuit television, which will help the police to combat violence.
I shall also be making some extra funds available to British Rail to strengthen the manpower of the British Transport police within their jurisdiction both in London and other principal cities. Discussions are in hand with the Metropolitan Police and representatives of other local forces about their most effective deployment along with the extra British Transport police on both the London Transport and British Rail systems.
There were a number of other valuable and practical suggestions made at the conference. I am writing to operators and local authority associations and to the trade unions involved, inviting their co-operation in implementing them.