Clause 25 - Cadets
Railways and Transport Safety Bill
4:00 pm
Mr John Spellar (Minister of State (Transport), Department for Transport; Warley, Labour)
Quite simply, police cadets fulfil an important role for the Home Office police forces, allowing those forces to employ new recruits with a view to their becoming constables of the force in the future and having a full career in the police. It provides an excellent entry point for many capable youngsters. However, the British Transport police were previously unable to recruit police cadets because they were not covered by the relevant provision in the Police Act 1996. Clause 25 will allow the authority formally to employ police recruits for the British Transport police, and I commend it to the Committee.