Holyrood committee supports plans to merge transport police with national force
A Holyrood committee has backed plans to merge British Transport Police in Scotland with the national force - despite Tory and Labour MSPs refusing to back the proposal.
A majority of members of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee said they believe the integration of BTP into Police Scotland would provide a "more integrated and effective approach" to policing in Scotland."
But three Conservative MSPs, committee convener Margaret Mitchell and fellow Tories Oliver Mundell and Douglas Ross, as well as Labour's Mary Fee all dissented from this statement.
Ms Mitchell said: "The committee did not arrive at a unanimous position on the Bill's general principles with some members backing an alternative approach."
After the 2016 Scotland Act extended new powers to Holyrood, ministers have put forward legislation to give power over railway policing to Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) watchdog.
The Railway Police (Scotland) Bill also requires the SPA and Chief Constable to have regular contact with train operators on rail policing matters.
But BTP deputy chief constable Adrian Hancock has told MSPs the plans could create an unnecessary border for officers policing the railways, while unions have warned the move could lead to big delays for travellers,
Meanwhile the RMT, the union representing transport workers, told the committee it had not ruled out taking industrial action if the plan goes ahead.
Ms Mitchell said MSPs had " heard a variety of opinions about the best approach for railway policing in Scotland now that has been devolved to the Scottish Parliament", adding that much of the evidence they had heard "r aised concerns about integration".
However, she said the committee had made a " number of clear recommendations to ensure that the same level of service that the travelling public currently enjoys is maintained" if the merger goes ahead.
She stated: " These include the recommendations that strong procedures should be in place to manage cross-border issues, such as the powers of officers to carry out their duties as they travel between Scotland and England.
"Also that officers must be clear on operational issues such as the use of Tasers and the powers of arrest. All members agree that protecting the travelling public is of the utmost importance."
Currently, only authorised firearms officers within Police Scotland can carry Tasers whereas BTP has Taser-trained officers who are not firearms officers.
Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins of Police Scotland told the committee that "should integration occur, one of the first things that I will have to do is to assess the threat in the wider rail network and see whether it is still appropriate, in terms of the wider Police Scotland threat assessment, to continue that practice".
Other recommendations from the committee include a commitment to an ongoing, visible police presence on the rail work, and a guarantee that the employment conditions of BTP officers and staff will not suffer as a result of the merger.
Labour's justice spokeswoman Claire Baker accused the Scottish Government of "railroading" through the proposal.
She said: "The committee has heard numerous concerns from BTP, staff, unions and railway providers. There are clear operational and serious financial questions that remain unanswered by the Government.
"At a time when the SPA is facing a crisis of leadership and significant budget pressures, integrating BTP with Police Scotland could potentially introduce a level of risk to transport policing which fails to put passengers first.
"We already have a transport system that works and serves us well in Scotland but this Bill risks that."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: " The Scottish Government welcomes the committee's backing for our plans to integrate the British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland, which will ensure that railway policing in Scotland is more accountable, through the Chief Constable and the Scottish Police Authority.
"We share the committee's view that the safety of the travelling public is of the utmost importance, and welcome the constructive and helpful recommendations the committee has made on delivering a seamless transfer of responsibility.
"We will give these careful consideration and provide a full response to the committee's report in due course."
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2017, All Rights Reserved.
