Asked by: Lillian Jones (Labour - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to increase support and resources to British Transport Police on train services in East Ayrshire.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police (BTP) play a vital role in keeping passengers and staff safe across the rail network. Their budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators.
As with all police forces, the Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP) has operational independence over the deployment of officers and other resources, including on the rail network in East Ayrshire.
BTP’s budget has recently been set for the next three financial years. In 2026/27, it will increase by 6.2%, with provisional agreement for budget increases of 5.6% and 2.5% over the subsequent two years – an increase of over £65m from £415m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29, allowing for the creation of over 180 new officer roles for network policing.
Asked by: Lillian Jones (Labour - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve passenger rail performance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Improving the performance of our railways, including by delivering the biggest overhaul of the railway sector in a generation, is a top priority for this Government.
I have been clear with operators and with Network Rail that I will not tolerate poor performance while we rewire the system to work in the interest of passengers.
Ministers continue to meet with Managing Directors of Train Operating Companies and their Network Rail counterparts to assess their performance, and we will not hesitate to demand immediate action to raise standards.