Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of a decrease in funding on the operational capacity of the British Transport Police in the East Midlands.

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) has agreed a three-year budget settlement for BTP which will see BTP’s budget increase from £418.5m in 2025/26 to £481.5m in 2028/29. This will enable the Force to employ over 200 new officers by the end of 2027/28. The Department has therefore made no assessment of the impact of a decrease in funding.

BTP’s budget is set independently of the Department for Transport, by the BTPA following proposals from the Force and engagement with industry and railway operators. Part of their decision-making includes ensuring BTP can provide our railways with efficient and effective policing. The Department for Transport has no statutory powers to intervene in these decisions.