Moray MP leads Westminster debate on British Transport Police
UK Government confirms laying of orders delayed indefinitely until a robust delivery plan is in place for the British Transport Police Scotland Division merger with Police Scotland Today Scottish Conservative MP Douglas Ross led a debate in Parliament on the merger of British Transport Police (BTP) and Police Scotland. This was a timely debate given the recent decision by the Scottish Government to pause the much-criticised merger. The pause comes after months of criticism for the SNP’s plans from political parties, trade unions, the rail industry and BTP itself. The SNP voted against a motion by the Scottish Conservatives in Holyrood to pause the merger just a few weeks ago. The Scottish Conservatives have been campaigning to stop this flawed and entirely political plan for some time, with Mr Ross leading the charge in Westminster. This has been a cross-party issue with MPs from across the political spectrum taking part in the debate. During the debate Mr Ross called on the SNP Government to reconsider all the options available to it for the devolution of the BTP. Transport Minister, Jo Johnson, stated the UK Government is committed to the Smith Commission but during the devolution of BTP to Police Scotland, passenger safety is paramount and that the future of the merger would need a robust delivery plan in place. He also confirmed that due to the delay by the SNP Government the laying of orders at Westminster that were due to take place in Autumn 2018 will be postponed until the Scottish Government has produced a new timeline for the merger. This potentially means the merger will not happen for a number of years as contractual arrangements to recover costs from rail companies must start at the beginning of the financial year. Commenting after the debate, Mr Ross said: “I welcome the confirmation from the Minister during today’s debate that the UK Government will postpone laying orders to merge British Transport Police into Police Scotland as the plans have been paused in Scotland. “Railway policing is of critical importance to public safety and I was able to highlight the work of BTP officers in Moray, for example the role they played during the construction of the new Forres Railway station. Any changes must be thoroughly thought through, especially given the on-going crisis within Police Scotland. The debate allowed us to highlight a number of areas where the SNP has failed to progress this merger. Terms and conditions, pensions and training are just some of a host of issues that still have to be resolved. It is little wonder that research has found a massive 83% of BTP officers are either very unsupportive or unsupportive of this merger going ahead. “Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary described the SNP’s plans as ‘entirely a political decision’ and the SNP have failed to listen to BTP officers, staff and the rail industry. I therefore welcome the minister’s comments about delaying the laying of orders until there is a robust delivery plan in place for this merger. I am concerned however that SNP members contributing to the debate continue to ignore other options for the devolution of BTP that are available to them. “However, I still feel it is vital going forward, that politicians across the UK continue to put pressure on Scottish Government to ditch their discredited and dangerous plans altogether. “Railway policing is a cross-border issue and it is crucial, for the sake of the whole UK, that the devolution of BTP is handled effectively.”