Annex I
OVERVIEW OF PAST REVIEWS AND REPORTS INTO
THE BTP
In 2001, the government response to the DfT
consultation which led to the BTPA's creation ("Modernising
the British Transport Police") stated that:
"The Government therefore considers that
the national railway network is best protected by a unified police
force providing a dedicated, specialist service and able to give
proper priority to the policing of the railways."
In 2003, HMIC reviewed the Force and found good
relationships with the industry and historical support from the
industry and the Government. It concluded that:
". . . the enforced amalgamation/merger
of the whole or part of the British Transport Police with one
or all Home Office Police Forces would unquestioningly lead to
a dilution of the specialist service given to the rail industry
and its public users and, most probably, would lead to a significant
reduction in the number of police officers and police staff left
to police the network." [8]
The Transport Select Committee in 2004, looked
at the reforms to the BTPs governance arrangements, including
the creation of the BTPA, proposed by government. [9]It
concluded that:
"The British Transport Police is not a Home
Office Force, and nothing we have heard suggests that it should
become one. The railways are a specialised environment, with specialised
needs, and need a specialised Force . . ."
And:
"The steady reduction of resources allocated
to traffic policing leads us to agree with Her Majesty's Inspectorate
of Constabulary that unless there is a national force dedicated
to policing the rail network, the task will not be given the priority
it needs."
The government's response[10]
to the Committee's Report stated that:
"The Government agrees with the Committee
that the national railway network is best protected by a unified
police force providing a dedicated, specialist service and able
to give proper priority to the policing of the railways. The White
Paper re-iterates the Government's support for the BTP continuing
as a specialist police force with a key role to play in maintaining
safety and security on the railway."
And also:
"The Government fully agrees with the Committee
that the BTP has a key role to play in maintaining safety and
security on the railway. The specialist skills that the Force
has established in areas like incident management, counter-terrorism
and policing travelling football supporters provide real benefit
to the railway industry and the travelling public. The BTP perform
their duties whilst recognising the commercial environment that
they work in. The Force also has a well-regarded approach to risk
management, highlighted by its established bomb-threat categorisation.
As the White Paper makes clear, the Government supports the BTP
continuing in its role as a specialised rail police force."
Although not part of a review, we also wish
to note that in March 2004, the then Minister of State for Transport
addressed the BTP Federation Conference, saying:
"You've asked whether your work in central
London will dramatically change and whether your force will remain
viable.
You've asked whether the British Transport Police
will merge with the Metropolitan Police.
And the Government has answered—no.
We've also asked those questions. We've asked
about policing in London and whether there should be more links
between the Met and the transport police.
But we quickly found out that the Underground
needs your unique expertise and dedication."
And also:
"So the question of merger is not one that
we plan to ask again—your home is rightly with the DfT."
In July 2004, the government considered the
BTP in its White Paper "The Future of Rail", which stated:
"The BTP have a key role to play in maintaining
safety and security on the railway. The industry and passengers
also receive significant benefits from a dedicated force, particularly
from its approach to managing incidents, which is aimed at minimising
delay. The Government confirms its support for the BTP continuing
in its role as a specialist rail police force." [11]
The DfT then looked again at the BTP post-implementation
of the creation of the BTPA, reporting in September 2004. [12]This
concluded that:
"The British Transport Police have a key
role in maintaining safety and providing public reassurance on
the railway network. The specialist service that the BTP provides
brings significant benefits to the industry and to the travelling
public. The BTP's ability to police in a commercial environment,
and to manage risk, provides the industry with considerable cost-savings.
Likewise passengers are able to benefit from the sensitive way
that the BTP police the railway network and from the re-assurance
that the Force provides."
And also:
"Given this support for a specialist rail
police force, there is no suggestion that the BTP should be merged
or linked to the Metropolitan Police or other Home Office County
Forces. To do this would be to lose the valuable specialisms that
the BTP has established. It would also take away the extremely
positive ability of the BTP to police across boundaries."
8 HMIC (2004): British Transport Police-A report
by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. Back
9
House of Commons Transport Committee 12th Report of Session 2003-04
(2004): British Transport Police. Back
10
DfT (2004): Government Response to the Twelfth Report of the
Committee: British Transport Police. Back
11
DfT (2004): The Future of Rail, paragraph 3.3.14. Back
12
DfT (2004): Review of the British Transport Police. Back
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