§ Mrs. Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is his policy for the future of the British Transport police;
(2) if he will list the sites at which British Transport police are currently employed and those sites at which they were employed in 1979, giving the numbers employed at each site in both cases;
(3) what procedures there are for vetting private security firms where they are to take over the work of the British Transport police;
(4) what consultations he has had with employers and warehouse owners at the sites on which staff reductions are proposed for the British Transport police;
(5) whether he is satisfied that reductions in the numbers of British Transport police will have no adverse affect on Her Majesty's Government's ability to combat drug smuggling.
§ Mr. Ridley[pursuant to the reply, 17 December 1984, c. 70]: The future of the British Transport police force is entirely a matter for the British Railways Board—its employer—in consultation, where necessary, with other users. The responsibility for the detailed deployment of the force rests with the chief constable, and it would be for him to produce information on this subject if he saw fit.
I have no doubt that those responsible for preventing crime, including drugs trafficking, will continue to ensure that these commitments are met. The vetting of private security firms is for those who wish to employ them.