– in the Scottish Parliament at on 15 November 2017.
1. To ask the Scottish Government how much the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland will cost. (S5O-01463)
The Scottish Government set out the projected costs of railway policing in the financial memorandum to the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill. Under current arrangements, the costs are around £20 million per annum, and the financial memorandum assumes an envelope that is the same in real terms following integration. The costs of railway policing in Scotland following integration will continue to be funded through contributions from the railway industry.
The cabinet secretary will be aware that Police Scotland submitted evidence to the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing that stated that it did not know the costs of the merger. He will also be aware that not a single trade union or staff association representing the workforce supports the merger: not the British Transport Police Federation, not the Transport Salaried Staffs Association and not the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers—and, indeed, not the Scottish Trades Union Congress. Surely the cabinet secretary must now accept that the merger is one that the workers do not want and that passengers do not need. Is it not time that we ended this politically motivated merger right now—
Mr Sarwar, this is a supplementary question, not a long ramble before another question. I call the cabinet secretary.
A brief supplementary question from Liam Kerr.
As the member will be aware, the Justice Sub-Committee on Policing has written to me, looking for further details on that matter. I will respond to the committee in due course.