Police Service (Hansard, 2 April 2003)

§ Mr. Ben Chapman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues about the police services that exist separate to the police services of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. [106474]

§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth
The Home Office does not have lead responsibility for the police services that exist separate to the regular police forces of England and Wales. However, wherever there are issues that impact either on the relationship between such non-Home Office police forces and the regular police forces in England and Wales, or on policing generally, the Home Office will discuss these issues with the relevant lead department to endeavour to deliver the best joined-up policing on the ground.
The Home Office has had recent significant discussions with the Department for Transport on building on the already close operational integration between the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Metropolitan Police Service, in particular with regards to BTP's contribution to the Street Crime Initiative in London. The Home Office has also supported the Department for Transport's proposals to modernise the BTP in the current Railways and Transport Safety Bill, 756W and the Department for Trade and Industry's similar proposals for the UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary.

§ Mr. Ben Chapman
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the(a) training, (b) ethical and (c) professional standards that apply to the police forces which exist outside the regular police service. [106475]

§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth
The Home Department does not have lead responsibility for the police forces that exist outside of the regular police service. Lead responsibility resides with the relevant Government Department. I will continue to support and assist my ministerial colleagues with responsibility for forces which exist outside the regular police service, in all of their efforts to ensure that such forces meet the training, ethical and professional standards appropriate to their policing role.