Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the funding provided to the British Transport Police for protecting (a) people and (b) property at train stations.
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 to meet their objectives as agreed with the BTPA. The protection of people and reducing crime on the railways are key to these objectives, as set out in the BTP’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Policing plan. BTPA and DfT regularly discuss with BTP their delivery and performance against these objectives.
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: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) compliance of the British Virgin Islands in tackling illicit finance, sanctions evasion and corruption and (b) measures that Territory has implemented in those areas.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.
Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.
Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique
I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what operational and financial support she has provided to Caribbean Overseas Territories to tackle illegal migration; on what dates that support was delivered; and what discussions she has had with those Territories on the adequacy of that support.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.
Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.
Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique
I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.
Asked by: Jack Rankin (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support she has provided to Caribbean Overseas Territories to strengthen security and tackle organised crime in the region; and how she assesses the effectiveness of that support.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to supporting our Overseas Territories (OTs) - including the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean partners - to tackle a range of regional challenges, including violent crime, illicit finance and organised immigration crime.
Since July 2024, the UK has provided over £20 million in security support to the Caribbean OTs, including armed police and investigators to support OT police forces, new patrol vessels, coastal radar systems, and police drones.
Details of our latest discussions with the OTs at the Joint Ministerial Council were set out on GOV.UK on 28 November 2025, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-and-overseas-territories-joint-ministerial-council-2025-communique
I most recently discussed regional security issues with Caribbean OT Premiers and Governors on 6 January 2026 and we continue to work with them closely. I work closely with Ministers across His Majesty's Government to deliver on UK responsibilities to Caribbean OTs, through our OT Ministerial Security Board and regular ministerial and official level discussions.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support the financial sustainability of police forces.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government is committed to ensuring that policing has the resources it needs. In December 2025, we published the provisional police funding settlement for 2026-27, which proposes funding of up to £18.3 billion for territorial police forces. This is an increase of up to £746 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement, equivalent to a 2.0% real terms increase.
More widely, the Home Office engages regularly with police forces, the NPCC, and APCC to discuss police finances and understand the pressures on police budgets.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there are any plans to ensure that future funding formulas for the police take account of (a) seasonality and (b) rurality.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is committed to ensuring that policing has the resources it needs and the allocation of funding to police forces remains an important consideration.
The Chancellor has announced a real terms increase in police spending power over the next three years. As with previous years, decisions on police force funding allocations for 2026-27, including the police main grant, will be set out at the forthcoming police funding settlement.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), what estimate they have made of the total annual budget of West Yorkshire Police.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
West Yorkshire Police will receive funding of up to £659.6m in 2025-26. You should note that this figure includes core Government grants and council tax precept only and does not represent the totality of the force’s budget. The Home Office does not routinely collect information on other police force revenue.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned cuts to British Transport Police (a) staffing and (b) stations due to the 2025/26 funding shortfall on the prevalence of crime, including anti-social behaviour, on the rail network.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. BTP works closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.
For the FY25/26, a budget increase of 5.9% was agreed. The BTPA will set the Force’s budget for 2026/27 this month.
Our railways remain safe for the vast majority of passengers and staff. Whilst total crime increased in 2024/2025, crimes per million passengers has decreased since 2023/2024 from 26.8 to 26.0. The reasons and drivers for crime on the railway network are complex, and yearly changes are not directly attributable to BTP funding levels.
The BTPA are responsible for delivering an effective and efficient police force and monitoring the performance of the force. Like other police forces the BTP has operational independence, so the BTP Chief Constable and Chief Officers use a variety of data to inform the deployment of officers and other resources, following the agreement of the budget. Decisions on staffing and stations resourcing are reviewed regularly by the BTP under their optimal policing model.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to Table A.5 of the OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2025, CP1439, 26 November 2025, according to information held by HM Government, if he will list the estimates for council tax receipts in each year from 2024-25 to 2030-31 for England only.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has published data on actual council tax collection rates in England which can be found on gov.uk here.
Estimates of council tax receipts (excluding police authorities, mayoral combined and county combined authorities and parish councils) will be published at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for England, for the years 2026-27, 2027-29 and 2028-29, later this year.
Table A.5 of the OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2025, CP1439 estimates UK-wide council tax receipts for 2029-30 and 2030-31 but these are not disaggregated to England level.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned cuts to British Transport Police (a) staffing and (b) stations due to the 2025/26 funding shortfall on the level of (i) passenger and (ii) staff safety and security.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). It is the executive non-departmental public body that oversees the Force and is their employer. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.
For the FY25/26, a budget increase of 5.9% was agreed. The BTPA will set the Force’s budget for 2026/27 this month. BTP’s budget has increased by £87million since 2021/22.
Like other police forces the BTP have operational independence, so the BTP Chief Constable and Chief Officers use a variety of data to inform the deployment of officers and other resources, following the agreement of the budget. Decision over staffing and stations resourcing are reviewed regularly by the BTP under their optimal policing model.
The Department is committed to working with the BTP and rail industry to ensure the railway remains safe for passengers and staff, thanks to the efforts of officers and rail staff working tirelessly across the network.