§ Mr. Matthew BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the future of the British Transport police following(a) publication of the consultative document, "The Future Status of the British Transport Police" and (b) 2 February; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. FreemanSome 50 responses to the consultation document have been received, two of them since 2 February. In addition, I have met representatives of the British Transport Police Federation. Many of the comments we received emphasised the desirability of the force remaining under public sector control, and the importance of standards of law and order being maintained. The consultation period has now closed and we will publish our conclusions shortly.
I have already announced that it is the Government's intention to ensure that the British Transport police will remain in the public sector as a single unified force. There is no intention to split "L" division from the rest of the force, so policing of the London Underground will continue largely as at present. We propose, through licensing, to make it compulsory for operators to use BTP for law and order purposes.