Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help improve (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the British Transport Police.

The British Transport Police (BTP) are dedicated to building a modern, inclusive, and resilient force that reflects the communities it serves. Their latest headcount figures show the Force is successful at maintaining staff and officer numbers at a consistent level.

The Force has focussed on leadership development to foster a culture of empowerment, empathy and support. They have introduced a new well-being programme for the workforce, and they are investing in technology, training and facilities to equip their officers with the necessary tools for the dynamic environment they operate in every day.

BTP is also committed to creating a more representative workforce and have an outreach programme to encourage applications from candidates in underrepresented groups.

BTP is launching a pilot in London for new recruits to join BTP as part time police constables. This is a commitment from BTP’s Learning and Development Strategy to attract high calibre applicants, from a range of backgrounds, who would otherwise not be able to apply or consider becoming a police officer.