Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Navendu Mishra (Labour) on Friday, 9 October 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 15 October 2026 (named day). A holding answer was provided on Thursday, 15 October 2026. A substantive answer was provided by Keir Mather (Labour) on Monday, 19 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

British Transport Police: Recruitment

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the British Transport Police Authority on increasing police officer numbers to pre-2024 levels.

Answer

The Department works closely with the British Transport Police Authority on the funding and oversight of the British Transport Police. However, the British Transport Police are operationally independent of government, including in decisions on staffing and the deployment of officers.

The Authority has agreed a three-year budget settlement that will increase the Force’s budget by £63 million, from £419 million in 2025/26 to £482 million by 2028/29. This will enable the recruitment of more than 200 additional police officers which will take full-time equivalent police officer numbers to 3228 by 2027/28 compared with 3084 at the end of 2023/24.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
30484
Session
2026-27
Subjects
British Transport Police Recruitment
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk