Download or read book British Transport Police,Twelfth Report of Session 2003-04,Report,Together with Formal Minutes,Oral and Written Evidence written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Transport Committee and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The British Transport Police (BTP) provides a specialised police force for the railway network across Britain, including the London Underground and some local light rail services. It is currently under the control of the Strategic Rail Authority, but this will change in July 2004 when a new British Transport Police Authority comes into being. The Committee's report examines the implications of this transition, and reviews the likely challenges for the new Authority as well as for the BTP itself. Issues discussed include: responsibilities and powers, governance and accountability, the funding system and resource management. Findings include that the railway system is a specialised environment with specific policing needs. Although the BTP has rightly been expected to demonstrate the same standards and expertise as a county police force, it has been left under funded and without sufficient resources. The Committee calls on the new Police Authority to provide leadership in order to secure the support the BTP deserves, and that the Government must also address these issues in its current review of the railway system. The Committee also commends the BTP's approach to providing information to its inquiry as exemplary.