asked Her Majesty’s Government:
What additional funding they are providing to the British Transport Police to enable them to contribute to the multi-agency Olympic Security Directorate.
My Lords, the British Transport Police are already contributing to the Olympic Security Directorate through Assistant Chief Constable Steve Thomas. The security programme for the London 2012 Olympic Games is currently being developed with the involvement of key stakeholders, including British Transport Police. Decisions about funding, including that of the British Transport Police, will be made as part of that process.
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that response. It is planned that 80 per cent of people attending the London 2012 Games will do so by using the rail network, which will require a capacity to move and ensure the security at peak of 240,000 people an hour using rail services to and from the Olympic Park. Can my noble friend give an assurance that the Government are not contemplating that part or all of the additional British Transport Police security and other policing costs of nearly £30 million for the Olympics, which are already starting to be incurred, should be borne by the railway companies, which already provide the normal revenue funding for the British Transport Police, and that they should be provided out of central government funds for this unique national one-off event?
My Lords, the noble Lord asks a valuable question on one of the issues under active consideration. He is right that the industry is normally expected to meet the revenue costs of policing matters relating to the railway network, and some of those discussions need to be continued. The development of the security programme is continuing and we are well advised by Assistant Chief Constable Steve Thomas of the BTP. No doubt that issue and other issues relating to governance and so on are still to be finally determined.
My Lords, to follow up the noble Lord’s question, there are likely to be nearly a quarter of a million—240,000—people coming on to the Olympic site at Stratford every hour. Given the problems of national security and the problems that that line suffered last week with the number of people currently using it, when there were almost riots on the stations, I hope that the Government are taking the matter more seriously than is suggested by the answers that the Minister has given us.
My Lords, we do take these issues seriously and the noble Lord should not consider anything that I have said this afternoon in your Lordships' House as doing anything other than that. These are very serious issues. However, there is a great deal of experience out there among the police forces that have to work with the train operating companies. Our security for major sporting events is often envied internationally, and our police service does a very good job in those very difficult circumstances.
My Lords, my noble friend said that many of these issues were still under review. The question being put is perfectly acceptable and worth while and it ought to be looked at favourably. While he is reviewing it, perhaps he could tell us how the review of policing for football matches is progressing. Many of us were surprised to learn that policing for major football matches is not paid for in any way by the clubs themselves although they appear to be extremely profitable. Perhaps some of the funding that could be released from policing football matches could go to the project suggested by my noble friend.
My Lords, I know that we have recently been through the Christmas period, and I can see that the noble Baroness is trying to extend the hand of generosity, certainly in one direction, but I have a strong suspicion that not everyone would necessarily agree with her premise. Although services provided by the police inside stadiums are to be funded by the football clubs, policing costs outside stadiums are met by the police service itself.
My Lords, would I be right in assuming from the Minister’s answers so far that the Government do not envisage trying to hive off the extra security costs arising from an event that is supposedly of national prestige; that they will ensure that the costs are met by the Government themselves; and that the only points which have not been crossed and dotted are the exact financing and which department will provide the funding?
My Lords, Tessa Jowell made clear last year when she announced the funding envelope for the Olympics that £838 million had at that stage been set aside for security and policing and that budget was confirmed on 10 December. The noble Lord is right to say that there are continuing discussions, as I am sure he would expect. The Olympics are four years away, the final details have to be put in place and the discussions continue.
My Lords—
Cross Bench!
My Lords, does the Minister agree that transport security is a critical element in the preparation for the Olympic Games? Therefore, any further failure or delay in clarifying the funding provision will unnecessarily add risk to the preparation for the Games, particularly at a time when the threat level is at “severe”, the second highest threat level for terrorism in the threat-assessment barometer.
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, with his great experience, for his contribution this afternoon, and I agree that it is important that these matters should be resolved. There is no argument that the funding has to be in place. There is no disagreement about that. The planning will continue as envisaged, and I am sure that behind that planning will be the necessary funds to ensure that we have the securest and safest Olympic Games ever.