§ Mr. Ben ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of the(a) Mersey Tunnels Police Force and (b) British Transport Police in the context of a major emergency. [109210]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Mersey Tunnels Police Force's jurisdiction is the Mersey Tunnels, the approaches and any marshalling area. A written accord exists between the Tunnels Police and Merseyside Police of close co-operation in the event of a major emergency where the tunnels are involved.
The British Transport Police (BTP) play a full part in the British police service within their railways jurisdiction, including the response to any national emergencies. The response to any major incident on the railways would be a matter for a joint response involving the BTP and the local police force.