British Transport Police

HC Deb 11 November 1992 vol 213 cc799-800W

Mr. Trotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future status of the British Transport police after the privatisation of British Rail.

Mr. MacGregor

Paragraph 98 of the White Paper "New Opportunities for the Railways", Cm 2012, announced the Government's broad intentions for the British Transport police—BTP—and promised further consultation.

The Department has today published a document, "The Future Status of the British Transport Police" which considers how the BTP may need to adapt to the proposed new structure of the railways.

The document confirms the Government's intention to maintain the BTP as one force and seeks the views of interested parties on its future accountability; the scope for private operators to make alternative arrangements for some functions; the extent to which functions could be contracted out; and the means of controlling and allocating costs.

I have placed copies of this document in the Library of the House and in the Vote Office.