Clause 47 - Policing objectives: Authority
Railways and Transport Safety Bill
4:15 pm
Mr David Jamieson (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport; Plymouth, Devonport, Labour)
The clause closely follows the provisions of the Police Act 1996 that govern the setting of objectives and related performance targets for local police forces. The clause will apply similar requirements to the British Transport police.
To respond to one of the hon. Lady's initial questions, the clause replicates section 7 of the Police Act 1996 and requires the authority to set objectives for the BTP each year. The objectives must be consistent with any objectives set by the Secretary of State for the policing of the railways. Police authorities for local police forces have similar requirements. The authority must consult the chief constable before setting objectives and must consider views obtained from public consultation with the railways industry, the travelling public and the wider community. That is consistent with the position of local police force authorities.
When setting objectives, the British Transport police authority must have regard to the national policing plan and any objectives set by the Home Secretary under the Police Act 1996. That is designed to ensure consistency with wider policing objectives. I hope that that responds to several of the hon. Lady's points about how the BTP's objectives would fit in the national picture. Clearly, specific objectives would be inappropriate. For example, a target on reducing burglary would be less appropriate for the BTP because few domestic properties come within its purview.
The hon. Lady also asked about the BTP and best value. The BTP would comply with the Home Secretary's best value indicators when that was relevant; that would be monitored by Her Majesty's inspectorate. Best value reviews will be carefully monitored and any indicators appropriate to the BTP would also be monitored.