MSPs approve plan to merge British Transport Police with national force

Legislation to merge British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland with the national force has passed its first hurdle at Holyrood.

MSPs backed the general principles of the Railway Policing Bill by 66 votes to 44 despite calls from Labour and the Tories for the move to be reconsidered.

Ministers want to hand power over railway policing to Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) watchdog after the 2016 Scotland Act extended new powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Holyrood's Justice Committee has given majority backing to the Bill despite one Labour and three Tory MSPs withholding their support.

The RMT, the union representing transport workers, has warned the move will put rail passengers and workers at an increased safety risk, and it told the committee it had not ruled out taking industrial action over the proposals.

During a stage one debate on the legislation at Holyrood, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said the change would make railway policing more accountable.

He insisted the Scottish Government is committed to maintaining the specialist expertise of the current workforce and repeated assurances that the terms, conditions, benefits and pensions of BTP officers and staff will not be adversely affected on transferring to Police Scotland.

But he warned that while constructive talks will be ongoing, the Government's "sensible" approach "should not be beholden to the threat of industrial action".

He said: "In taking forward these proposals, our primary objective will of course be to maintain and enhance the high standards of safety and security that railway users and staff in Scotland experience at present.

"Our proposals will deliver an integrated approach to transport infrastructure policing in Scotland, bringing railway policing alongside policing of roads, seaports, airports and border policing.

"Integration will enhance railway policing in Scotland through direct access to the specialist resources of Police Scotland."

Justice Committee convener Margaret Mitchell said: "A majority of the committee support the general principles on the basis the integration of British Transport Police in Scotland into Police Scotland will provide a more integrated and effective approach to infrastructure policing in Scotland.

"A minority, myself included, did not support the general principles of the Bill and instead support an alternative approach to devolved railway policing."

She added that a number of issues had to be addressed including that "the high current level of public confidence in rail travel must be maintained".

Tory MSP Douglas Ross said failing to put forward alternative options is "the height of legislative laziness", adding: "The Scottish Government is trying to tear up a specialist railways police service for no good reason at all.

"We are faced with a model that will, according to witnesses, increase delays for passengers and jeopardise their safety, result in irrecoverable loss of expertise and dilute the unrivalled specialism of existing railway policing in Scotland."

Labour's Claire Baker called on the Government to withdraw the Bill and work with interested parties to look at the full range of options for railway policing in Scotland.

"The option chosen is the most expensive one with the highest level of risk," she said.