Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-18235

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to ensure that full integration provides an enhanced service, whether, post-integration, railway policing in Scotland will be evaluated according to the same performance criteria as the remaining British Transport Police, or whether it will be assessed against different criteria from those used at present.

Throughout the re-planning process, commissioned by Scottish Ministers, we have been committed to listening to stakeholders. As part of the re-plan, recent advice from Police Scotland on a range of issues, and timing of implementation, particularly relating to ICT, has emerged. Based on that information, I have decided that we will re-examine all options for the devolution of railway policing, with clear governance structures that ensure accountability to the Scottish Parliament.

Full integration of railway policing into Police Scotland, as legislated for by the Scottish Parliament remains a long term goal and we will keep the commencement date of the Act under review. However, there is a need to identify interim arrangements that can give effect more quickly to the Smith Commission’s cross-party recommendation to devolve railway policing to the Scottish Parliament.

The absolute priority for all those involved is the safety and security of officers, staff and those who use Scotland’s railways.

I want to pay tribute to the on-going commitment of officers and staff of both police services, who I look forward to engaging with on this matter in the very near future.

I will commit to keeping Parliament fully updated on progress.

Question reference: S5W-18243

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) the Scottish Police Authority and (b) Police Scotland plans to reduce the cost of railway policing post-integration, and, if so, how.

Question reference: S5W-18239

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates the Police Scotland Digital, Data and ICT strategy, which is being developed in line with Policing 2026, will cost; where British Transport Police integration sits within the plan, and what the information and communications technology costs associated with integration are.

Question reference: S5W-18237

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will (a) undertake and (b) publish an analysis of Police Scotland's capacity and capability to absorb railway policing before a decision is made on the new implementation date for their integration.

Question reference: S5W-18238

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Scottish Police Authority report, which states that there may be significant differences in running costs following the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland and Police Scotland, what its position is on the Financial Memorandum supporting the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill, which states that "the cost of railway policing is not expected to rise as a result of the changes made by this Bill".

Question reference: S5W-18236

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Scottish Police Authority report, which states that Police Scotland may not have the capacity or capability to absorb rail policing and that there may be significant differences in running costs to those at present, whether it expects any Train Operating Companies to meet any additional costs.

Question reference: S5W-18177

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that a new Scottish Police Authority report states that Police Scotland may not have the capacity and capability to absorb the work of the British Transport Police, and that there may be significant differences between actual costs and previous estimates.

Throughout the re-planning process, commissioned by Scottish Ministers, we have been committed to listening to stakeholders. As part of the re-plan, recent advice from Police Scotland on a range of issues, and timing of implementation, particularly relating to ICT, has emerged. Based on that information, I have decided that we will re-examine all options for the devolution of railway policing, with clear governance structures that ensure accountability to the Scottish Parliament.

Full integration of railway policing into Police Scotland, as legislated for by the Scottish Parliament remains a long term goal and we will keep the commencement date of the Act under review. However, there is a need to identify interim arrangements that can give effect more quickly to the Smith Commission’s cross-party recommendation to devolve railway policing to the Scottish Parliament.

The absolute priority for all those involved is the safety and security of officers, staff and those who use Scotland’s railways.

I want to pay tribute to the on-going commitment of officers and staff of both police services, who I look forward to engaging with on this matter in the very near future.

I will commit to keeping Parliament fully updated on progress.

Question reference: S5W-18178

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 11 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding safety risks and the financial cost of full integration, whether it will consider the option of a commissioned service model for the devolution of British Transport Police.

Question reference: S5W-18175

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost to Police Scotland of future overtime payments in relation to the judgement that police officers are entitled to an extra shift payment for every 24 hours that they work away from home.

The payment of overtime to police officers is a matter for the chief constable of Police Scotland. The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) agreed to introduce a set of allowances that officers can claim when they are deployed away from their usual place of duty and as a consequence are unable to return home. This agreement came into force on 4 June 2018 and is published in PNB circular 2018/2 – link attached: .

Question reference: S5W-18176

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has taken increased overtime payments into account in its financial planning in light of the judgement that police officers are entitled to an extra shift payment for every 24 hours that they work away from home.

The payment of overtime to police officers is a matter for the chief constable of Police Scotland. The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) agreed to introduce a set of allowances that officers can claim when they are deployed away from their usual place of duty and as a consequence are unable to return home. This agreement came into force on 4 June 2018 and is published in PNB circular 2018/2 – link attached: .

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Chamber and committees